Ponte Vedra — Paws for Change, a program spearheaded by K9s for Warriors, yesterday graduated four dogs trained by inmates to become service animals for wounded veterans. For 12 weeks, trainers and dogs worked side-by-side, 24/7, learning from each other.
The inmates say that the program changed them for the better.
“It’s given me something to look forward to every single day,” said one.
“It’ll teach you a lot as far as building yourself and as far as helping someone else not being as selfish as a lot of us here,” said another.
“It taught us patience and teamwork,” said yet another.
Christel Fleming, Training Manager for K9s For Warriors, describes the program as important for expediting the process of placing service dogs into the hands of veterans suffering from PTSD.
“Currently we have a four year waiting list,” she said. “And that’s way too long for veterans to wait. And it’s way too long to ask them to wait when they’re really suffering.”
Fleming said that Paws for Change will allow K9s For Warriors to shrink the waiting list.
“The program allows us to train dogs a lot quicker and it allows us to train more dogs which will shrink that wait list,” she said.
The graduates, Brutus, Knight, Maverick and Scout were transported to the K9s For Warriors Nocatee Campus for the final leg of training to become service dogs for veterans.
Founded in 2011, the Ponte Vedra-based organization pairs military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma with service dogs raised by volunteers and/or rescued from high-kill shelters. The organization describes the bond formed between veteran and dog as “unwavering in its collective healing and recovery.”