Patriot PAWS Service Dogs Selected As 2015 Hunting Art Prize Charity

HOUSTON, Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, Hunting PLC, an international oil services company, has selected Patriot PAWS Service Dogs as the Hunting Art Prize Charity.  The nonprofit will be presented with a gift on behalf of the 2015 Hunting Art Prize at a separate event following the annual gala in May, where the winner of the competition will be announced. 

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Patriot PAWS aims to inspire and restore the physical and emotional independence of disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities by providing service dogs at no cost. 

Following the 2014 Hunting Art Prize, Hunting presented the nonprofit with a gift of $135,000, providing the funds necessary to train five new service dogs.  This specialized education program teaches the dogs to perform a wide range of functions, including pulling wheelchairs and opening and closing doors.  It costs roughly $27,000 per service dog. 

"After seeing the extraordinary impact the service dogs of Patriot PAWS have had on the lives of disabled veterans and others with mobile disabilities, we couldn't think of a more fitting and well-deserving charity to receive the 2015 contribution," said Dennis Proctor, chief executive of Hunting.  "We take great pride in helping organizations like Patriot PAWS bring critical services to our community and are both humbled and inspired to continue to support their efforts." 

The annual Hunting Art Prize, which is currently celebrating its 35^th anniversary, is open to Texas artists who are 18 years of age or older.  Its $50,000 award is the largest single prize in the category of painting and drawing available in North America. 

As part of the competition, Hunting selects one Texas-based nonprofit each year to receive a donation on behalf of the prize.  The gift includes a direct donation as well as a contribution from Hunting that matches the dollars generated from finalists who sell their art at the annual Hunting Art Prize gala.

Since 2006, when the competition moved to Houston after a quarter-century in the United Kingdom, Hunting has contributed more than one million dollars to underserved nonprofits in Texas. 

For more information about the Hunting Art Prize, visit www.huntingartprize.com. 

About the 2015 Hunting Art Prize Charity
Patriot PAWS Service Dogs was founded in 2006 as a nonprofit entity providing service dogs to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities at no cost in an effort to inspire and restore physical and emotional independence.  Depending on the needs of each individual, service dogs complete a customized training program and learn to perform a variety of functions, including supporting patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.  For further information, visit http://patriotpaws.org. 

About Hunting PLC
Hunting PLC is an international oil services company providing support solutions to the world's largest oil and gas concerns. Established in 1874, it is a fully listed public company, traded on the London Stock Exchange. For further information, visit www.hunting.plc.uk.