America’s VetDogs, a 501(c)(3) charity headquartered in Smithtown, New York, is making a tremendous and lasting impact on the lives of military veterans, active-duty service members and first responders with physical and emotional disabilities.
Since 2003, the non-profit organization has trained and placed nearly 1,200 service dogs with the men and women who have served the nation throughout all 50 U.S. states and territories.
These animals – primarily Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Lab/Golden crosses – are purpose bred at America’s VetDogs headquarters and training center on Long Island in New York. In most cases, these puppies then enter the organization’s prison puppy program when they are 8 to 10 weeks old. In this special program, incarcerated individuals at more than a dozen correctional facilities up and down the East Coast, with support from expert advisers, help raise and train puppies who will one day work as service dogs. In many facilities, incarcerated veterans participate in the program, which gives them an emotional connection to their dog’s future handler and partner.
Each weekend, the puppies go home with a volunteer weekend puppy raiser. These weekend puppy raisers – who generally live within 30 miles of the facility – teach house manners, socialize them to car rides and traffic noise, visit stores, restaurants and hospitals, and hang out with kids and families so that they will be confident wherever their future veteran partner will go. When the puppies are between 14 and 16 months old. these special canines return to the headquarters of America’s VetDogs. For the next three to four months, they will work with a certified service dog or guide dog mobility instructor as they continue their formal training to become a guide or service dog.
After an extensive evaluation process, a dog will be matched and custom trained for a military veteran, active-duty service member or first responder who has gone through the application process. Thanks to generous donors, these dogs and training are provided at no cost to the people the organization serves.
While the monetary contributions of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and service and civic clubs certainly play a critical role in helping America’s VetDogs accomplish its mission, the same is true of the puppy raisers who devote countless hours to helping prepare the animals for life with their future owner.
“We rely on between 1,400 and 1,600 volunteers – the majority of whom are raising puppies for us either full-time or part-time throughout the year,” said Mike Rosen, chief marketing officer for America’s VetDogs. “It is an incredibly selfless way to give back to America’s heroes. You’re investing a year or so of your life into raising a puppy, and then you’re giving it back to us so that dog can change, and sometimes even save, the life of a veteran or first responder.”
The job of a volunteer puppy raiser is twofold. It starts with basic obedience training, which involves the volunteer following the curriculum set by America’s VetDogs. “It’s ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘come,’ and ensuring the pups stay off the furniture and don’t beg for food, etc.,” Rosen said. “The most important role of a puppy raiser is socialization – getting that puppy accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of the world that their future veteran or first responder handler may one day experience.
“We want our raisers to take them to work, take them into restaurants and bars, take them shopping, have them be around families and kids and other dogs. That way, they’ll really get used to anything that their future handler may one day walk into.”
Some puppy raisers have dedicated their time and energy to training more than 20-plus dogs for America’s VetDogs and its sister nonprofit, the Guide Dog Foundation, over the course of many years.
“If you or somebody you know may benefit from a service dog, apply,” Rosen said. “If you want to give back to the veteran and first responder community, volunteer. And if you have the wherewithal, consider donating. It’s an incredible way to give back and help save or change the life of a veteran or first responder who has served our nation or served your community.”
Learn how to apply, volunteer and donate at VetDogs.org/PolePosition.
PUPPY WITH A PURPOSE®
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Major Kevin Bittenbender is no stranger to service—or resilience.
After 34 years in the military and the amputation of his left leg due to combat-related burn pit exposure, Bittenbender found a new kind of support in Kirby, his highly trained service dog from
America’s VetDogs. Kirby was raised through the organization’s Puppy With a Purpose® program, in partnership with the NFL’s Houston Texans and Kroger.
Kirby was a frequent presence at Texans games and community events, acclimating to the sights and sounds of large crowds. That socialization molded Kirby into the calm, confident service dog that now stands proudly beside Bittenbender—whether at home or at Pocono Raceway, where he serves as Director of Military Affairs. Fans can meet Kirby during NASCAR race weekend at Pocono Raceway, June 20–22, where he’ll accompany Bittenbender at Veterans Village—an initiative he founded to connect veterans with vital resources and community.
America’s VetDogs has partnered with sports teams, media companies, and corporations to raise nearly 50 future service and guide dogs through its Puppy With a Purpose® program. The initiative serves as a fundraising, awareness and training initiative designed to bring national attention to America’s VetDogs and the philanthropic work of its partners.
