Veterans With Dogs has received a massive donation of £75,000 from organisation Forces Support which will help to transform the lives of three deserving veterans.
The money will be used to support three new puppies and veterans through the whole assistance dog partnership – from purchasing the puppies to the training and qualification process to after-care and ongoing support.
Forces Support, a leading UK Bereavement and Veterans Charity with a network of 20 retail outlets, has been a beacon of hope since March 2010, providing crucial support to families and dependents of service personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
The organisation’s aim is to ensure that the parents, widows, and children of families bereaved through military death can access practical support throughout the UK and that each have equal access to our support. Our national stores sell donated furniture, clothing, electricals and bric-a-brac.
Carol Reynolds, the CEO of Forces Support, added: “Forces Support is absolutely delighted to be helping fund the wonderful work carried out by Veterans with Dogs. Their work is extremely close to our hearts, and we are excited to see what they can achieve in the future.”
Craig MacLellan, CEO of Veterans With Dogs said:
“We are immensely grateful to Forces Support for making such a huge donation to our charity – the end result will literally be life changing for three veterans.”
“Unfortunately, the need for qualified assistance dogs for current and former members of the British Armed Forces with mental health related issues remains very high. While we have a fantastic network of fundraisers, we are still a small charity, so support from organisations such as Forces Support makes such a huge difference.”
Veterans With Dogs trains and provides assistance dogs for current and former members of the British Armed Forces with service-related mental health conditions using its unique PALS (Partner Animals Life Skills) training programme. The training is a combination of home support and residential courses, with annual assessments thereafter to maintain the fully accredited assistance dog status. The dogs that undergo this training are always ‘on shift’, providing the veteran with 24/7, 365 days of assistance. They not only change the lives of the veterans – in some cases, they save them too.
To learn more, visit www.veteranswithdogs.org.uk or contact Ann Bryant at ann.bryant@veteranswithdogs.co.uk or on 07801 422159
