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 Chicago 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 Chicago, we will honor Justin, 37, a former Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, where he served for 7 years. He graduated from K9s For Warriors in May 2012, where he was paired with Cody, a Labradoodle. Justin needed a hypo-allergenic dog, so K9s For Warriors put out a call far and wide for a special Labradoodle. Cody was found in North Carolina and a foster was arranged, but the organization was having trouble finding transport to K9s For Warriors for Cody's training. A future warrior, Justin, called and said he would be happy to drive the dog down without knowing that Cody hand-picked for him! Since the two graduated, Justin has credited Cody and K9s For Warriors for helping him recover: "I went to Iraq in 2003, Afghanistan in 2006 and K9s For Warriors in 2012. I finally made it all the way home back to my family in 2012."
Justin and Cody
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 watch this video to understand the importance of your donation:)
The Bark Business Breakfast will sweep into Chicago on Saturday September 7, 2013 from 10AM-12Noon.
Please donate to this wonderful event andif you can't attend you can still support a Veteran with PTSD in Chicago!
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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