[GDU] Fw: [Missouri-l] Honoring Today’s Injured Military With Service & Guide Dogs

[Steve Schnelle]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: hiway66 
To: missouri-l 
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:45 PM
Subject: [Missouri-l] Honoring Today’s Injured Military With Service & Guide Dogs


October 27, 2009 12:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time   
Honoring Today’s Injured Military With Service & Guide Dogs 
Group of Retired Veterans & Former POW’s Are On An Immediate Mission For Support 

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Veteran’s Day approaches, we’re reminded by our continued overseas efforts in the fight for freedom and a secure world. This steadfast commitment at times has been met with the unfortunate costs life and limb for our heroic military. 

When life altering injury occurs, a dedicated group of veterans from all forces proudly steps in. Vets Helping Heroes was formed December 2006, by WWII veteran and former POW, Irwin Stovroff. Upon learning that the federal government does not provide the necessary funding for guide & service dogs for our wounded military, Stovroff set out to create a program that raises money and has catapulted the awareness of this important issue. 

Since the onset of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, over 36,000 troops have been wounded of which over 3,600 have returned with life-altering injuries of the brain and spinal cord, amputation, blindness, post traumatic stress disorder and other serious ailments. Vets Helping Heroes, in conjunction with professional guide dog training organizations, has helped many of our young heroes by providing a gift of ‘lifetime’ financial assistance so they may obtain a service dog today and the support needed throughout their lifetime. 

They are proud, they are silent, and they are in dire need of service and guide dogs in order to live outside of a hospital or nursing environment and restore a sense of independence. 

The Countdown to Veteran’s Day – A Special Call to Support Our Disabled, has begun with Vets Helping Heroes launching an online campaign to raise awareness and monies to place service dogs with our wounded military. Visit www.vetshelpingheroes.org for information. 

Facts: 

  a.. Veterans in need of guide and service dogs have vastly exceeded the original projections. As a result many veterans are on a waiting list to obtain an assistance dog. 
  b.. The federal government does not have a program in place to provide guide or service dogs to our current veterans in need. 
  c.. The lifetime cost to professionally train an assistance dog exceeds $30,000. The average working life of an assistance dog is between seven and 10 years. After a veteran retires a guide or assistance dog, they are eligible for another dog, including training, at no cost as part of the lifetime gift awarded by Vets Helping Heroes. 
Vets Helping Heroes is a 501c3 dedicated to providing much-needed Guide Dogs, Service Dogs, Combat Stress Relief Dogs and Military Therapy Dogs to our disabled veterans. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Vets Helping Heroes is a 100% volunteer driven organization with an unwavering commitment and empowering mission -- to provide professionally trained Assistance Dogs to disabled heroes who have been wounded in the global war on terrorism so they may return to a life with dignity and self-reliance. 

Over $1.6 million has been raised since the organization’s inception by individuals and corporations throughout the country. We invite you to support a disabled veteran today by visiting www.vetshelpingheroes.org. 



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