“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
For veterans struggling after seeing war, dogs can be a lifesaver. Literally.
The National nonprofit Petco Love recognizes that and awards nearly $1 million to support “Helping Heroes” this Veterans Day.
This innovative initiative focuses on organizations that take pets from shelters and transform them into heroes to assist people in need, primarily our nation’s veterans. As the site says,’ Saving Two lives.’
Since 2009, Petco Love’s investment of more than $16 million bolsters efforts to train and support animals who dedicate their lives to saving and improving the lives of others.
Studies show that veterans paired with service dogs showed lower PTSD symptom severity and better mental health. Purdue professor Maggie O’Haire said, “We’ve demonstrated that service dogs can provide a higher quality of life for some of our nation’s veterans living with PTSD. Expanded funding, like that provided by Petco Love, is essential to meet the demand to expand this much-needed research.”
A selection of organizations receiving investments include:
K9s For Warriors: Trains shelter dogs to be heroes for veterans nationwide with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma at their main headquarters in Florida and at the Petco Love K9 Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Working Dogs For Vets: Adopts shelter dogs and trains them to help disabled veterans, empowering them as they return to civilian life.
4 Paws 4 Patriots: Provides medical/psychiatric service dogs to change the lives of disabled veterans and their families.
Shelter to Soldier: Adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 veterans suffering from service-related trauma.
K9 Partners For Patriots, Inc.: Adopts qualifying shelter and rescue dogs to help veterans who are facing a war all over again as they cope with anxieties born of service-related PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma.
Donate if you can.