ST. CLOUD, Fla.— October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and one former domestic violence victim is training dogs to assist other survivors like herself. 

Kay Schreiner is a dog trainer who owns Marsoc Training Facility in St. Cloud. She recently started Paws Against Domestic Violence. 

Through her nonprofit, Schreiner trains dogs that offer emotional support and also protect victims against attackers. The dogs don’t cost anything to survivors and will receive free training courses for their lifetime. 

“So now they’re able to come here and with the help of their dogs and understanding of like what I’ve gone through, and my training with domestic violence victims,” she said.  “We’re kind of able to create a community of strength whether you're a man or a woman.”

Paws Against Domestic Violence is looking for sponsors and volunteers to help with their cause as they’ve been hard hit by the pandemic. For those who want to help chip in, a GoFundMe has been started.