HARRY FUNK | TRIBUNE-REVIEW
After a two-year hiatus, Pittsburgh’s Community Mutt Strut returned for an in-person day of fun for four-legged friends and their people pals, all for a good cause.
The event, held virtually during the covid-19 pandemic, benefits Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc., a Florida-based nonprofit that rescues, raises and trains canines to provide Military Veterans with essential companionship.
“We’re here to add awareness to what our Veterans are facing,” Plum resident Bill Jeffcoat said. “These Veterans are coming home with visible and invisible disabilities: post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, insulin dependence, seizure disorders, mobility issues.”
He is president of Life Changing Service Dogs For Veterans, a Pittsburgh-area organization formed seven years ago to support Guardian Angels’ mission.
“These dogs allow these Veterans to become a part of society. They’re able to go out, become employed and be part of the community once again.”
Among those attending the Sept. 10 festivities was Carol Borden, founder and chief executive officer of Guardian Angels, which has its headquarters in Williston, Fla.
“What a perfect day to hold the Mutt Strut, as this is National Suicide Prevention Day. And that is what we do,” she said.
