PEORIA MAGAZINE July 2023

mately, they agreed, so long as it was a service dog. Kouri, 35, has cerebral palsy that affects his fine motor skills and speech. He moves about in a wheelchair. Kouri has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law. He is employed by the State of Illinois as a commissioner for the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Five years ago, Kouri got Duke, a Labrador/retriever mix. Duke was trained to retrieve things such as the television remote, car keys and shower towels. He would jump up and push the automatic door opener for handicapped entrances, pull Kouri in his wheelchair and help him into bed at night. “It was like a partnership,” said Kouri. “He learned my behavior and I learned his behavior.” Duke changed his life, said Kouri. On May 7, Duke died of a rare form of cancer. Before the end of the month, PGI placed Bard, another Labrador, with Kouri. Kouri, now living on his own, said working with a service dog was easier the second time around. “Bard is not Duke,” he said. “He’s a very good dog, but just like people, dogs have different personalities.” Corey James, founder of Freedom Paws Service Dogs in Chillicothe, is a disabled veteran diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Upon leaving the Air Force after 16 years of service, James said his life was “spiraling downhill.” He was drinking alcohol to excess, trying to cope. “My first deployment, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but I came back with problems,” said James. “My wife at the time had worked for Leader Dogs for the Blind,” said James. “She suggested that a service dog would help me.” They acquired Zack, a black Labrador retriever, and started training him. FREEDOM PAWS SERVICE DOGS

Left to right, Michelle Yuen with facility dog Lucie, Donna Kosner, and Brandy Weyers with Jarvis. These three women are the founders of Paws Giving Independence

be able to assist people who suffer seizures, narcolepsy and fainting spells. The group recently paired a hearing assist dog with a deaf recipient. PGI starts its training in the homes of volunteer puppy trainers. From there, at about 8 months old, the dogs go to the Logan Correctional Center through a program called Helping Paws. The inmates there train the dogs for a year. The dogs then move in with a transition trainer, who helps the animal learn to meet the specific needs of the targeted recipient. About 30% of the dogs don’t make it through training. If a dog can’t stop chasing squirrels, for example, doesn’t have the proper temperament or just isn’t happy in the job, it gets a “career reassignment” as a family dog. After a match is made, the dog and recipient continue training with PGI

until the pair passes a certification test. Besides training service dogs for individuals, PGI also has 27 facility dogs working throughout central Illinois including at the Peoria County Courthouse, schools, physical therapy offices and the child advocacy center in McLean County. PGI has placed more than 200 dogs since 2008. “We cap our number of dogs in train ing at 27 to 30, because we know that’s what we can afford,” said Kosner. “Dona tions make it possible for us to do this.” The 40 to 50 PGI volunteers are an other necessity, said Kosner. “We just couldn’t do it without them.” ‘LIKE A PARTNERSHIP’ Steve Kouri always wanted a dog but his parents were not “dog people,” he said, so they always said no. Ulti

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