Service Members Get a Second Chance with Service Dogs

Posted by Aimee

July 10, 2010

The Dublin Dog Foundation (DDF) has partnered with Freedom Service Dogs, Inc. (FSD) for their second annual philanthropic campaign. The DDF will be raising $20,000 for the training and care of a service dog (including medical bills, training and food) which will be donated to one lucky war vet from the FSD group.

DDF will raise the money for the service dog by raffling off a used Jeep that features a custom paint job and custom parts. DDF will travel around the US with the custom Jeep for four months prior to the Jeep giveaway selling raffle tickets. The vet who is awarded the service dog will be choosing the winning raffle ticket for the Jeep on September 11 at a ceremony (location TBD).

“We are honored that The Dublin Dog Foundation has chosen Freedom Service Dogs,” said Sharan Wilson, Executive Director of Freedom Service Dogs. “Freedom Service Dogs are essential companions to disabled service members who have physical and psychological needs that are the result of their sacrifices, and make a tremendous difference in the lives of these veterans.”

FSD rescues dogs from shelters and custom trains each dog to assist a person with a disability. FSD’s custom trained service dogs assist their partners in day-to-day activities providing their human companions with a greater degree of independence. FSD specifically focuses its efforts on donating these animals to disabled military veterans.

“We were so impressed with Freedom Service Dogs full circle approach of fostering the partnership between humans and their canine counterparts,” said Jason Watson, CEO and Founder of Dublin Dog Company and Foundation. “It was a very simple decision for us to partner with them to support their efforts and the needs of the soldiers that benefit from them.”

About The Dublin Dog Foundation

Established in 2008, the mission of The Dublin Dog Foundation is to foster the therapeutic and service roles of dogs in the development, support, and inspiration they provide to their human companions. The DDF works with national organizations to help promote and facilitate the role dogs play in human health, development and service. From local fundraising events, to the national raffling of specially created goods, to the online sales of branded Dublin Dog Foundation products, The Dublin Dog Foundation uses a combination of initiatives to support its giving. The DDF is separate from Dublin Dog Co., its sister, for-profit dog product-manufacturing corporation www.dublindog.com.

About Freedom Service Dogs

FSD was founded as a 501c3 non-profit organization in 1987. In early 2009, in recognition of the increasing number of “Wounded Warriors” that were returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, FSD made the decision to concentrate its efforts on identifying deserving disabled veterans and matching them with a trained service dog companion. Freedom Service Dogs are trained for in-home and out-of-home physical tasks, such as opening and closing doors, finding keys, picking up objects and switching on lights, as well as assisting with brace and balance so that their owners can walk on prosthetic legs or regain mobility after spinal cord injuries. Freedom Service Dogs also help serve as a social bridge for their human partners, and help to engage and comfort returning service members with post-traumatic stress disorder. Over the years, FSD has rescued hundreds of dogs and has placed over 140 client-service dog teams.

For more information, visit www.freedomservicedogs.org.