Operation Freedom Paws empowers veterans & individuals with disabilities to restore their freedom to live life. Being able to purchase training equipment helps our service dog teams build their confidence not only in training but also in life. On days that may be difficult for our teams, accomplishing training tasks can be a big win. This equipment helps train both members of the service dog team for unique circumstances in a safe place, giving encouragement to go out in their community.
Veteran suicides are recorded as being 22 a day & this is without additional factors considered (ie homeless population). This number is staggering & our founder, Army Veteran, Mary Cortani has made it her mission to utilize her canine core training helping her fellow sisters & brothers. Rescuing dogs from shelters who would make good service animals, she is able to match them with veterans & individuals with disabilities to train & certify together restoring their freedom to live life.
This project builds the confidence of not only the rescue dogs from shelters but for our veterans as well. Giving them the success of being able to walk their dog up a ramp, sit and stay at the top for 1-5 min hold times & then walk down the other side is a huge success for them in the early stages and builds both team members confidence. Giving us this equipment allows us to be able to train the teams in a multiple of ways preparing them for unique experiences in a safe space.
This project impacts not only today for our clients, but tomorrow, as well as their future. Your contribution will give confidence to a service dog team, giving the dog a new life with purpose and the veteran the confidence to go see their child's soccer game or travel with their spouse. You are allowing them to re-engage in their community and begin to live life again!
