Paws For Vets Inc., and Michele Malloy, founder of the Orlando-based organization takes dogs who need homes and connects them with soldiers returning from war, to their bases, to their families and a more civilian lifestyle but they have returned with issues that they did not leave home with.
After meeting and talking with Michele and husband John Malloy, Sr., I learned that our military is providing support and therapy options for soldiers returning from war with psychological and emotional trauma, allowing them to keep their jobs and not be discharged. This presents the opportunity for Paws for Vets and Michele and John will work together to connect the dogs that have been adopted into their program, with any soldier in need of a Psychiatric Service Dog; not completely limited to PTSD, the dogs can be taught some specific commands to assist with minor physical injuries as well, say, a back injury.
One Marine non-profit organization that they have worked with is a Wounded Warrior Project, located on the Camp Lejeune base in North Carolina. This is only one in particular, Paws for Vets, Inc. will help any soldier, active or retired, who needs a dog. Click here to see a few of the soldiers and their dogs, as posted in Orlando Sentinel.
Please contact Michele personally if you have questions. Some of her priorities are to raise awareness about the benefits of these service dogs, the positive impact of their support, the people's lives they touch, as well as make the service provided by Paws for Vets as easy and stress-free as possible.
You can help out by being a puppy-raiser, donating supplies, or making a monetary contribution. This is a non-profit and relies on support from those who believe in this cause and want to help them accomplish more. There is a fundraiser in the works and the date will be posted here as soon as it is finalized.
*The movie trailer at the end of this article, for 'The Dry Land', was not endorsed by Paws for Vets. The movie will be available for purchase in November of this year. It is a feature film about a soldier returning from war and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Comments
Such an inspirational article. I was in tears after reading everything. Can't wait to read more.
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