Paws for Purple Hearts Virginia graduated three service dogs on Saturday, officially pairing the pups with their new service veteran owners.
Don Salo, a retired Army Colonel with 27 years of service, was paired with Orion, a yellow Labrador. German Garcia, an 18-year Navy combat engineer took him home Phyllis, a Labrador and Golden Retriever mix. Theresa Cuyle, a medical and supply specialist for the Army and Navy, received a yellow Labrador named Nemo. The ceremony at the Spotsylvania Towne Centre included a symbolic “handoff” from the dog’s foster family and trainer.
Paws for Purple Hearts provides the service dogs to veterans free of charge, however their new owners were responsible for housing, food, transportation and entertainment expenses while their dog was undergoing training, a two and half year process. Each puppy begins training at four weeks old, learning 20-30 commands by four months, 70 commands by 12 months and more than 100 commands by the time they graduate. Each fully competent service dog costs approximately $35,000.
The organization relies on Golden and Labrador Retrievers (in addition to mixes of the two breeds) for its Canine Assisted Warrior Therapy, also known as Service Dog Training Canine Assisted Therapeutic Intervention. The dogs are trained to assist veterans with their combat related injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and military sexual trauma. All service dogs are trained in accordance with the Bergin College of Canine Studies, making Paws for Purple Hearts the only veteran-oriented service dog organization to do so.
In addition to placing dogs with veterans, Paws for Purple Hearts takes dogs on visits patients to military hospitals and Veterans Affairs facilities for therapy and companionship. Those animals, while not qualified as service dogs, still provide “invaluable benefits.” The organization has held more than 22,000 therapy sessions since 2006.
Paws for Purple Hearts’ location in Ruther Glen serves the organization’s entire southeast region, providing service dogs to veterans in Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia and six other states since 2015.
Learn more about Paws for Purple Hearts at www.www.pawsforpurplehearts.org.
