K9s for Warriors rescues dogs from shelters prior to being euthanized and trains them to be service dogs for veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. We hope you can donate $10.00, $100.00 or what ever amount you can afford – 96% of every dollar will help a Veteran with PTSD in New York receive a service dog from K9s For Warriors.
Every hour, a veteran commits suicide! Service dogs are a natural cure for PTSD! Animal Fair and Wendy Diamond have partnered with K9s for Warriors and dedicated her book tour to raising enough money for a dog to be rescued from a shelter and trained as CGC-certified service dog for a Veteran with PTSD!
The K9's For Warriors Program/Rescue removes dogs from shelters and transports them back to their facility. After having a complete physical, the dogs are trained to meet CGC (Canine Good Citizen) standards. Upon completion, they are paired with a veteran with PTSD based upon his/her special needs and the special tasks the dog is most capable of performing. It costs approximately $10,000 to graduate one veteran/canine team from the time the dog is accepted into training. This includes housing, feeding and training with his veteran for three weeks.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a very real epidemic amongst veterans and affects up to 30 percent of all soldiers; 184 new cases are diagnosed every single day. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, one soldier commits suicide every 65 minutes. This is an alarming statistic, but studies show dogs can be very therapeutic in the treatment of PTSD and other military-related stresses.
Shari Duval (wife of PGA TOUR player Bobby Duval) was inspired to start this program by her own son. She explains, "My son, Brett Simon, returned home from two tours in Iraq as a bomb dog handler. I didn't even know what PTSD was. I only knew that my son came home a different person." She continues, "Our family noticed that when he was with his canines he was better, more like the 'old Brett.' Our family had the resources to help Brett, but we knew most do not. I spent two years researching service dog therapy and finally decided to open the K9's For Warrior Program/Rescue."
K9′s For Warrior Program/Rescue's success is a triumph for the organization. Duval commented, "The warriors arrive here broken on two legs and leave here walking into their recovery on six. They are able to go and do things that weren't possible before they received their service dog." She added, "These dogs provide more medical improvement for the warriors than all the drugs they have been placed on."
In New York, we will honor Alex, 27, who served in the United States Army for 6 years, and graduated from K9s For Warriors in August 2012, where he was paired with Skip, a Labradoodle. Skip was found wandering the roads in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and taken to Ponte Vedra Beach Animal Hospital. They tried to find his owner but no one ever claimed Skip, and he was donated to the K9s For Warriors program. At first, Alex wasn't sure Skip was for him. He wasn't sure that he wanted a Labradoodle, but Skip quickly won him over with his lovable personality. Alex also learned that Skip is a magnet for the ladies – an added bonus! Alex says Skip is the reason why he was able to eliminate prescription medications and was given the clearance from the VA to stop counseling, as Skip was the only prescription Alex needed to recover and regain his life.
Alex and Skip
Wendy Diamond will host the BARK BREAKFAST 10 City Media Tour, which will feature her hilarious new book, How To Train Your Boss To Roll Over. This brand new instructional manual will promote a positive work environment and explain how to work towards making a societal difference by raising awareness and funds for the K9′s For Warrior Program/Rescue. Our bark breakfast benefit will celebrate our wounded veterans and rally to raise awareness and donations for our American heroes that have sacrificed selflessly for our country. Dogs are welcome to breakfast treats, too! You will also get to meet the veteran and the dog who will benefit from your generous donations!
Please join us in supporting a veteran with PTSD and a rescued service dog in New York. You can donate as little as $10, $50, $100, $2,000, or become the honorary chair in New York for $10,000! This program is 100% transparent, and 96 cents of every dollar benefits the veterans! Get involved by barking about it and donating here.
Please watch this video to understand the importance of your donation:)
The Bark Business Breakfast rushes into New York on Monday September 30, 2013 at the Omni Hotel at Berkshire from 8-10AM.
Please donate to this wonderful event in New York!
For the Best that Pet Lifestyle and Animal Welfare has to offer follow Wendy Diamond on Facebook, Twitter, and right here at AnimalFair.com!
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