4H Paws and Pals Dog Club seeking help to keep club going

ByFree Press Staff Reading Time: 3 minutes
Knox was rescued from a dog breeding facility and had been neglected and abused. He and his owner, Estella Merkel, 12, of St. Anthony, worked through the set of commands easily during a recent club meeting. Photos by Matthew Crane.

Construction updates at the 4H Fairgrounds have the 4H Club Paws and Pals Dog Club seeking help to build a large yard barn and fenced agility training area for its members’ pups.

Currently, the 15 members of the club meet in the Farm Bureau Building for obedience training but don’t have an agility training area readily available. The leaders currently have to set up a temporary area for agility training, and, without the yard barn to store training equipment, the club will not be able to continue teaching agility.

Ozzie is also a rescued dog. The friendly pup is still learning the commands his owner, Lilyanna Hoffman, 12, gave him during a recent session but was ready to receive a treat after successfully completing a circuit. The club members show support by clapping and cheering when dogs complete their commands as trained.

They would like to build both next to the swine barn and are in the process of raising the funding to do so.

Trainers and leaders Jeff and Tarry Kerkhoff, Ruth Bush and Katie Verkamp meet on Tuesday evenings to work with the members. The group has been doing so for about 10 years now, and in that time, they have helped many dogs and their owners to live better lives together through proper training and care.

To support their needs, they have a goal to raise $5,000 for the new yard barn and the fencing to build the agility center. The group is a nonprofit, and donations are tax-deductible. The club has different sponsorship levels that include recognition at their events and on their shirts.

If you would like to help and have questions, please contact Katie Verkamp at 812-319-1379 for more information. Checks can be made out to Paws and Pals Dog Club and mailed to Jeff Kerkhoff, 4769 S 50 E, Huntingburg, In. 47542.

Alana Hohl, 9, rested with the family’s beagle, Penny, as she waited to work through a set of commands. Penny remained calm and listed okay to Alana when it was her turn to perform.
Autumn Voegerl, 18, hugged Parker. The nine-year-old pup has been involved in the group for about seven years and couldn’t wait to get out of his crate to take part in the activities at a recent meeting.
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