With Veteran’s Day in mind, the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation presented a $25,000 Coachella Valley Spotlight check to Dogs For Our Brave, a non-profit charity founded by a Rancho Mirage couple that is changing the lives of former service members who suffered catastrophic injuries.
Dogs For Our Brave provides service/companion dogs for vets who have lost limbs or endured other grave injuries while serving their country. The dogs are rescued from shelters and retrained at no cost to the recipient. The organization also provides a lifetime supply of food and veterinary care for the dog. Each dog is specially trained for its new owner’s specific trauma.
“They do so much more than opening refrigerator doors or turning on and off the lights. These dogs become companions. They notice the onset of PTSD and other disorders in their soldier and proceed to calm them down, whether it’s waking them up during a nightmare or asking to be petted until the soldier settles down. It’s really amazing,” said Andy Gladstein, Dogs For Our Brave president and founder.
Since 2014, Dogs For Our Brave has placed 14 service dogs. The $25,000 Coachella Valley Spotlight grant will be used to train dogs at the organization’s Arizona facility that will be matched with service members from the Coachella Valley.
“Dogs For Our Brave is a double feel-good charity. They rescue the dogs from shelters and train them for over six months then pair them with a particular veteran. It’s a new life for both the veteran and the dog,” said Catharine Reed, Program Director for the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation.
Dogs For Our Brave is the only program in the United States that offers a fully trained service dog with a lifetime supply of food and veterinary care.
“It’s wonderful we can help Dogs For Our Brave provide this kind of life-changing opportunity to more disabled service members in the community,” said Mike Stutz, General Manager of Gulf California Broadcast Company, which owns and operates CBS Local 2.
Along with the grant, Dogs For Our Brave was featured on CBS Local 2’s “Eye on the Desert,” in public service announcements, and on the cbslocal2.com website throughout the month of November. For more information, visit www.dogsforourbrave.com.