LIFE CHANGING SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS
IRS 501(c)(3) Non-Profit EIN#: 37-2010072
Mission Statement for Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans (LCSDFV):
Provide support for Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs (GAMSD) to build a campus in Western Pennsylvania to breed and train medical service dogs for those who suffer from visible and invisible disabilities including Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) with special focus on men and women who are veterans of United States Military Service.
Vision Statement:
Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans, in partnership with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, is focused on the needs of our Military Service Veterans by raising $15-20 million, which is sufficient to fund a new fully built campus in Western Pennsylvania for the breeding, raising and training of medical service dogs capable of assisting up to 60 recipients per year. The campus will annually double the number of dogs GAMSD provides to deserving recipients.
A BIT ABOUT US
“Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans” – it’s all in our name. It’s in our blood, it’s in our soul, to help our veterans by placing them in the care of a medical service dog that went through an extensive training program (cost $25,000).
All dogs are special, but ours are even more so, which is why we’re offering them a home, and place them in the care of some of the most deserving people, our veterans, who were always ready to sacrifice themselves for our safety and wellbeing.
We donate our dogs to deserving people, because the aftermath
of war comes with deep wounds, physical, mental and/or emotional
and the soul doesn’t escape untouched either as many come back with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Mobility
issues that manifest through numerous debilitating ways. Flashbacks of the
life-threatening events, antisocial behavior, feelings of detachment and
having a hard time to feel like they belong, and shame and survivor guilt
keep our veterans from enjoying the beauty of life and be the people they
want to be. Our dogs help them cope and re-shape themselves as human
beings.
The Veterans’ Administration estimates that 20 veterans commit suicide
every day. No veteran who has received a service dog from our partner,
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. (GAMSD) has committed suicide. Guardian Angels is a non-profit organization dedicated to breeding, raising, training, and then donating highly skilled service dogs for vets with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. They are the people who prepare the dogs for changing the lives of veterans.
We know we can’t do it all by ourselves. We survive and thrive and set our veterans on a journey to recovery thanks to the help and support of many donors and sponsors. Join us in helping our veterans find
support and trust in the dog we pair them with.
Our Program
Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans (LCSDFV) was born from a partnership with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc (GAMSD). We are a volunteer group of committed individuals who honor and respect veterans and we meet monthly to update funds, fundraise and set plans for the future.
While drug and therapy help, our medical service dogs offer something no medicine or therapy can; all their time and attention focused on veteran needs. Our work is quick and effective. Our dogs assist them in mitigating the effects of their injury, reducing their dependence on chemical treatments, and helping them live their lives with independence and self-worth. It’s not a miracle, but it’s the closest thing we’ve seen to one.
All our volunteers' passion and ambition is invested in our dogs. Their training program takes 2 years. Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs trains each dog for their intended human’s needs. Whether they are suffering from visible or invisible disabilities, including PTSD and TBI, the medical service dog is trained to face each issue the veteran faces.
Everything we do is 100% reliant on private grants, donations and sponsors with the LCSDFV board made up of 100% volunteers. In our beginning, we wanted to raise enough money to provide 22 service dogs at a cost of $22,000 each in 22 months. But because of the most generous support of hundreds of individual donors and sponsors that goal has been far exceeded. We raised enough money to pay for sixty dogs. Through the love and kindness of people we managed to gather an incredible amount of $1,300,000 earmarked for the training and placement of medical service dogs with veterans in the Western Pennsylvania Region.
Now we continue our journey of helping veterans and shaping their lives by moving our efforts to build a new Western Pennsylvania Campus, this location will double our ability/capacity to train more medical service dogs for veterans in need.
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THANK YOU
Major Donors and Supporters of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs through
Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans
Pittsburgh Foundation
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Steelers
PNC Bank
Scott Noxon Fund
Veterans Cable Services
Allegheny Financial Group
Anonymous
Armstrong Utilities
Bill and Gay Stewart
Colcom Foundation
David and Gay Travaglio
Duquesne University Community
Edward Clark
Fairbanks Family Fund
Harry Panos Fund
James and Audrey Hohman
Jennifer Schrauder