Clarissa Black is a professional animal trainer who has loved and been surrounded by animals since she was a young child. While her experience includes caring for elephants at a sanctuary in Arkansas and working with dolphins and other marine animals in Hawaii, Clarissa's most recent endeavor has allowed her to help humans as well as animals and, specifically, to help our nation's veterans.
After moving to Los Angeles and working with dogs and cats in the entertainment industry, Clarissa began working with therapy dogs and training them to assist wounded veterans. Through this experience, Clarissa saw what an amazing difference these special dogs could make in the lives of the veterans they helped, and this realization led her to develop the Pets for Vets Program.
The animals and veterans involved in the program share something in common right from the start, as they have all been through traumatic experiences before they are paired together. Clarissa and the Pets for Vets team rescues abandoned animals from shelters, often sparing them from euthanasia. The dogs are then trained and paired with a veteran who could benefit from a companion animal. Both the dogs and the veterans heal together as they bond.
Pets for Vets has numerous success stories, all of which are sure to touch readers' hearts and demonstrate the value of this extraordinary program. These stories include:
- E-5 Sergeant Michael Gaskill, who served as a Marine in both Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he sustained numerous physical injuries and returned home suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Sergeant Gaskill met Nugget, a chihuahua who had been abandoned and was found severely malnourished. It was love at first sight, and the two are now forever companions. Sergeant Gaskill puts it best when he says of the rescued dogs "they have gone through what we have gone through, if we can heal, they can heal!"
- Sergeant Doraliza Velezcallazo, who served 12 years as a nurse in the United States Army, including service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and came home with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Sergeant Velezcallazo found herself very isolated as a result of her condition. She met Lupita, who had been abandoned and found emaciated, sick, and frightened. Pets for Vets nursed Lupita back to health and paired her with Sergeant Velezcallazo, and the two have been constant companions ever since.
- Davis, who was drafted into the Army in 1964 and served in Vietnam, where he was exposed to Agent Orange. This led to many medical complications in his life, including diabetes and leg amputation. Clarissa Black met Davis at the VA in Long Beach, California, where he shared how much he would love a dog of his own. Enter Lady, who had been abandoned and suffered from intestinal parasites and kennel cough. Pets for Vets helped Lady learn how to be comfortable with wheel chairs and other medical equipment, and she was soon ready to be paired with Davis. Davis reports that he and Lady instantly fell in love, and they now spend every day together.
These are just three of the wonderful stories that have been made possible by the Pets for Vets program. To read more heartwarming tales, click here.
According to Clarissa, Pets for Vets networks with veteran organizations to receive referrals, and also receives news on interested veterans through word of mouth and from the program website.
She reports that so far "the majority of our matches have been made in California, but we've also made two matches in Washington state with a third in progress, one in Florida, and we have one in progress in Washington D.C."
The program is clearly expanding, and Clarissa states that there has been interest in starting an Ohio chapter. At this point, the Ohio program is still in the "conversation stage," and the possibility for a future chapter is not certain.
But, there are still many ways to help if you live in Ohio or anywhere else in the country. You can help by raising awareness about the program, working on fundraising and grant writing, or helping with social media. For a full list of ways to help, click here.
In order to reduce the burden on our veterans, the Pets for Vets companion animals are provided to the veterans with all the necessary equipment to start their new life together. Pets for Vets is always in need of donations to make sure these matches are possible. To view a list of needed equipment, as well as the addresses for monetary and equipment donations, click here.
The Pets for Vets program is a win-win situation for all involved, as wounded and traumatized veterans are given the chance to heal while animals are rescued from euthanasia. The rest of us can all be winners too, as Pets for Vets gives us an opportunity to show our appreciation for the veterans who have already done so much in service to our country. At the same time, we have a chance to help save an animal's life.
There's nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by helping this wonderful organization bring more veterans and animals together.
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