PetsVets is an organization that's here to establish a working-learning-living community for both dogs and veterans. The concept is simple; the participating veterans will rescue dogs in need. They will care for, work with, and train the dogs they rescue. In return, as the relationship between dog and veteran grows, the dogs will be rescuing veterans as well. The dogs will be providing a sense of companionship, trust, and reliance on the veterans caring for them. The developing relationship between dog and veteran will assist troubled veterans in coping with various unseen disabilities, such PTSD, TBI, etc. Through the rescue process, the veterans will be training the dogs as therapy dogs, for themselves or for other veterans. Veterans will also be able to receive medical attention, counseling, or therapy, as needed.
The program involves an 18-24 month voluntary commitment from the veteran. The program will be a cycle of veterans-in-need and dogs-in-need rescuing each other. As the veterans complete the program and graduate, they will take one of the rescued, and now trained & certified, therapy dogs with them. Upon completion, the program will continue to support them by assisting in helping the veteran get on their feet, find quality employment, and re-establish themselves in a pet-friendly home within their community. The veteran will come away with a better peace of mind and better tools to cope with their traumas and manage their lives.
Each graduating veteran gets matched with a veteran-saved and trained therapy dog, who continues the cycle of saving and supporting the veteran. The veteran/dog pair rejoin their communities, and space is opened up in the program to invite a new veteran-in-need and a new dog-in-need, to continue the rescue cycle.
The program's perpetuating cycle helps the veterans communities and the pet communities, as those two communities essentially work to help each other; a quid pro quo of veteran saving pet saving veteran. In turn, this communal cycle will also help alleviate stresses on other local rescue organization. Shelters and rescue/support communities, for veterans and animals alike, face many struggles in their efforts to provide care.
The structure of the PetsVets program is intentionally designed to provide a new and unique rescue resource for both veterans and pets, as well as to assist with alleviating some of the burdens that other community organizations are forced to suffer through, creating an environment that is more effective for all. PetsVets organization will continue to train other therapy dogs as well, to offer to veterans who may not be living within the community program but still qualify for therapy pets.
The community will consist of pet-friendly homes for veterans and dogs, as well as on-site support for job-placement, resume writing, housing placement, financial assistance, skill development, emotional or psychological support, therapy and counseling, spiritual support, etc. The community will assist veterans in getting enrolled in courses for professional networking and job training, such as the Work-And-Learn course from which the PetsVets organization began. The community will have psychiatrists, psychologists, and medical doctors available to tend to the veterans and their needs, as well as veterinarians to provide care and medical attention to the dogs.
Upon graduation, the organization will continue to maintain connection with the veterans and their therapy dog.
The organization will be able to provide additional therapy dogs, should the need arise. Veterans will also be encouraged to return and assist the program by continuing to train therapy dogs or assisting other veterans who are participating. Veterans relate best with other veterans, so the program will seek to foster those relationships and maintain a staff primarily composed of veterans as well. This vet-centric focus within the entire community helps to ensure a comfortable and familiar environment for both the staff and the participants, resulting in the most effective rescue/recovery process possible.
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