A great way to end the year is to shine a spotlight on two awesome charities that could use everyone’s support. They combine a love of pets, with a respect and admiration for those who serve our country in the military. Check these out and maybe there’s a way you can help!
Pets for Vets (petsforvets.com)
This wonderful organization offers a second chance for dogs who end up in shelters. They rescue these pets and provide training and instruction. The goal is to make sure they are comfortable around wheel chairs, or other assistance devices, and are the perfect pet for a home environment.
As they get to know the personality of the dog, they are able to pair them with veterans who feel they could benefit from a companion pet. Often these brave men and woman are fighting the effects of stress from combat, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or have a Traumatic Brain Injury. This group also gets to know the veteran and their lifestyle, putting together a “match made in heaven”.
Pets for Vets has seen how pets can provide life-saving therapy, or just a trusted friend, to these veterans who are now returning to civilian life. They site many studies which show that companion animals greatly improve the physical health, mental stamina, and reduce stress, depression and general anxiety of veterans they support.
Dogs on Deployment (dogsondeployment.org)
Another stress that many service men and women experience is the difficulty in finding a temporary home for their pets, when they are away on deployment. Dogs on Deployment solves this dilemma by providing an online network for service personnel to search for pet-loving volunteers, who will provide foster-care for their pet while they are away, serving their country. This solution also reduces the number of dogs who would otherwise end up in shelters!
It’s easy to find out if you can help. Just visit their website and register your family as a potential foster family. Alternatively, you can enter your city and state in the search area, to find a list of pets who are in need of foster care near you.
Dogs on Deployment goes a step further, by promoting spay and neuter programs, the need for vaccinations and working with community organizations to spread the word on their foster-care system. Their ultimate goal is to have a long list of foster care families near every military base in the US!
Both groups do fantastic work, providing peace of mind to those that serve our country. They also offer us pet-lovers some unique ways to help pets, and people, in the new year!
