4 Paws 4 Patriots trains medical/psychiatric service dogs to change the lives of disabled veterans and their families.
Our Mission
Our Vision
Founder’s Story
November 2001 I was serving in the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, where I endured several traumatic incidents that, at the time, did not seem to affect my relationships with my family, friends, and colleagues. However, a short time after my first deployment, things began to change; a life-threatening situation occurred during the same period where I lost two friends in my unit due to suicide. All of a sudden, I found myself acting violently towards my family, friends, and myself.
During this period, our family ended up getting a rescued pit bull named Cheyenne, who saw so many of my outbursts. Ultimately things got worse before they got better, and I began contemplating suicide because I just wanted the pain to end. In the end, it was Cheyenne and her presence that took my focus off the pain and made me reconsider living.
Immediately I felt so relieved, like someone had taken a 10,000-pound weight off my chest. My family and friends noticed a significant change in my behavior – a reduced number of outbursts, a better attitude, and my decision not to commit suicide – all because of this little pit bull puppy. Cheyenne gave me a purpose and someone else to live and care for.
Following these incidents, I was diagnosed by the Department of Veterans Affairs with having Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression.
In 2009, I set out on a mission to share my personal struggles and how this new companion had helped me overcome them, with fellow military Veterans, active duty military, law enforcement, first responders, Gold Star families, those who have PTSD, TBI (traumatic Brain Injury) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST.) My hope and prayer is that Companions for Heroes (C4H) will aid them in their recovery and, at the same time, save our nation’s shelter and rescue animals. This is two lives served.
Today I live with my son, Dax, and daughter, Mabel, along with our rescued Service Dog Darby.
| Dogs for Our Brave provide veterans with special needs with service and companion dogs at no cost. Their mission is to provide professionally trained service and companion dogs at no cost to veterans who have suffered debilitating injury or illness while in service to our country. The goal is to use rescue dogs at every opportunity, thus saving two lives at once. In order to fully realize their mission without adding financial burden, they also provide a continuum of free support that covers all food, veterinary care, and pharmaceuticals for the life of the dog. |
Offers free medical care to any active duty or retired working dog; as well as facilitates adoption or retired working dogs.
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. was established for the charitable purpose of: 1) rescuing, raising, and training the highest caliber medical service/assistance dogs, 2) pairing highly trained dogs with individuals afflicted by disabilities, including a focus on veterans with combat wounds, 3) building/restoring independence and improving quality of life, for both the recipient and the dog, while minimizing reliance on government, communities, caregivers, and families 4) advancing successful service dog training practices by promoting appropriate trainer education and contributing to related research studies 5) pursuing increased public awareness and education regarding current disability laws and contributing to new/enhanced laws regarding service dogs.
OUR MISSION
Healing4Heroes™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to assisting our military service members and veterans lead healthy, productive lives. Our objective is to connect wounded service members, as well as those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, with A.D.A. compliant service dogs.
OUR PURPOSE
Healing4Heroes™ has dual purposes in that it serves the community by helping military personnel and veterans as well as local animal shelters by rescuing suitable dogs.
Our military personnel and veterans, after being wounded both physically and mentally, are able to move forward and live more productive lives with the assistance of service animals.
Any veteran or AD member can adopt a pet for free from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Animal Care Center. Must provide military ID or DD214.
Mission is to give veterans and active military a second chance at life by honoring and empowering those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma through the experience of training and caring for their own service dog.
Providing highly trained service dogs tailored to meet specific veteran needs at no cost to the qualified and deserving veteran.
Mission: NEADS World Class Service Dogs
The mission of Patriot PAWS is to train and provide service dogs of the highest quality at no cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in order to help restore their physical and emotional independence.
The mission of Patriot PAWS is to train and provide service dogs of the highest quality at no cost to disabled American veterans and others with mobile disabilities and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in order to help restore their physical and emotional independence.
Our mission is to give the gifts of fidelity, joy, and love to veterans and pets through companion animal adoption
Our mission is like no other because we are serving the men and women of the most extraordinary military of the most exceptional nation in the world. The ways we think, act and deliver are all in support of fulfilling our mission:
Collaborate with the animal welfare community
Build a nationwide network of shelter/rescue and veterinary partners who share our values and vision
Give hope to the hopeless
Find loving homes for the most overlooked sheltered animals: adult, special needs, and long-term homeless pets, and large breed dogs
Be a leading voice for sheltered animals
Educate the military community and the public about the plight of animals surrendered to shelters, promoting companion pet adoption as the only humane and responsible alternative to buying or breeding animals
Help veterans afford a new pet friend
Reduce the overall costs of pet guardianship to prevent veterans from returning their adopted pets to the shelter due to short-term financial hardship
Share our love
Provide ongoing support – moral, educational, and financial – to nurture the healing bonds between veterans and their adopted companion pets
No more veterans in need, no more homeless pets
Our vision is to end animal homelessness in the United States while giving our military veterans and their families the greatest “thank you” of all: the extraordinary love of a companion pet.
We can make this happen through our nationwide shelter and veterinary networks, military and veteran organizations, and a public that values the lives of both the most vulnerable and heroic among us.
The Pets for Vets program is dedicated to providing a second chance for shelter pets by rescuing, training and pairing them with America’s veterans who can benefit from a companion animal.
Around 920,000 Shelter Animals are Euthanized each year including 390,000 Dogs and 530,000 Cats. These dogs can make excellent companion animals but never have that chance. It is our belief that companion animals can be the life saving therapy or friend that many returning service men and women need.
Medical studies have shown that companion animals significantly improve mental and physical health, including reducing stress, depression and anxiety, symptoms experienced by many serving in the military.
The Pets for Vets team interviews each veteran to ascertain exactly what he or she is looking for in a companion animal; we pair this with his or her personality and lifestyle to make the perfect pet/veteran match. Once the perfect pet is selected for the veteran, he then spends time in the home of our trainer who teaches him basic manners and other valuable behaviors needed to live with his new owner.
Your support helps us match a rescued companion dog (or pet) with an American veteran who would benefit from having a companion. In accomplishing this mission, we do not want to create an additional burden on the veteran; with each dog/veteran match we provide all of the necessary equipment for them to start their new life together. In addition, the pet will be healthy and up to date on all vaccinations. Your donation helps to ensure they have everything they need.
Locations across America (26 Chapters):
Semper K9 rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to be service dogs at no cost for disabled service members. Semper K9 recently purchased 33 acres adjacent to Marine Corps Base where they plan to build a retreat-style facility for out of area veterans and their families to come and train with their service dogs.
The No Veteran Left Behind Program allows disabled heroes who are able to help train their own service dog. They are matched with a dog from a local shelter or if they own a dog, after an evaluation, they might be able to train their own dog.