Another volunteer pays it forward for a dedicated dog trainer at Casa Grande | Pay it forward

CASA GRANDE (3TV/CBS5) — Chuck Avery is a professional dog trainer who volunteers his time and expertise to teach unwanted and aggressive dogs how to behave. “We go through desensitization with them and also go through all the basic ways of knowing when something is happening and what their reaction will be,” Avery said.

Every morning, six days a week, you’ll find Avery at the Valley Humane Society in Casa Grande volunteering her time to help struggling puppies learn the skills they need for a family to adopt.

“That’s the most rewarding part for me, knowing that these lives, that they’re alive, that I’m helping people meet their new family member for years to come,” Avery said.

Five years ago, Avery was diagnosed with lymphoma and had only a few years to live. He said training dogs is like therapy, helping him deal with the pain of his fatal illness, while saving hundreds of dogs from being euthanized.

Another Humane Society volunteer, Shelley Novotny, saw how dedicated Avery is to dog rehabilitation. spending so much of his time and money, while dealing with a life-threatening illness.

“He never complains, he never brings it up on his own, it’s always about the animals and never about Chuck,” Novotny said. “It’s always about animals and giving them safety, forever homes.”

Novotny contacted CBS 5 to pay Avery him and give him a $500 gift card. A CBS 5 news camera was rolling for the big surprise. “Because we are a non-profit organization with no government funding, we wouldn’t be able to save all the dogs we do without you providing the training for the dogs we get,” Novotny said. “You are so special with the training, not only dog ​​training but also volunteer training on how to handle dogs for people who adopt dogs offering free training.”

“On behalf of the Valley Humane Society and Channel 5’s Pay it Forward program, we would like to present you with this $500 gift card,” Novotny said.

“Even if he doesn’t feel well himself, he’s still there. He cares about the dogs,” Novotny said.

Jason Barry is best known for his Dirty Dining Report which airs Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on CBS 5. He is also the storyteller behind CBS 5’s Pay It Forward which airs every Thursday at 6:30 p.m.