Help A Veteran: Be a Weekend Puppy Raiser!

There are about 20 million veterans living in the United States today. We owe them a debt of gratitude for sacrificing so much to protect our freedoms. Though this is a debt that we can never fully repay, there are some small ways to extend support to veterans: the Wounded Warrior Project, and the Honor Flight Network, do a fantastic job of this.

There is another way to help veterans that sounds like a lot of fun - become a weekend puppy raiser for an organization that trains guide dogs for disabled veterans. Each program is a little different, but the gist of it is...

• During the week, the puppies are trained at prisons by inmates. This teaches basic skills to the dogs, and develops responsibility, patience, and compassion in the inmates.
• The dogs also need to get socialized - exposed to the noise and distractions of everyday life, which aren't present in a prison setting.
• On weekends, the dogs go to weekend puppy raisers. This lasts anywhere from a year to eighteen months.
• When the dog is trained, it becomes a service dog for a disabled veteran.

  

  Source

This sounds perfect for people who love dogs (which is everyone, dogs are the best) but who don't have time to devote to a pet during the work week. You will need to live in a place that is pet-friendly, close to the dog's home during the week, and will need to attend a training. Several organizations offer weekend puppy raiser programs throughout the country:

• Patriot Paws
• Paws Assisting Veterans (accepts puppy-sitters!)
• America's Vet Dogs
• Puppies Behind Bars

 Please share this with anyone who lives in the MD, CT, VA, and NY areas served by these programs!