How Rescue Pups are Supporting Veterans!

 For Veterans Day, Grounds & Hounds is partnering with Marley's Mutts Pawsitive Change program as they support Hounds and Heroes, a nonprofit that’s focused on pairing service and emotional support dogs with veterans suffering from brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. 

Bonnie-Jill Laflin founded Hounds and Heroes in 2010 because she wanted to combine her two passions: supporting our military and animal welfare. With a ton of veterans struggling after returning home she wanted to be able to provide something that could help them with their issues. She quickly realized that one of the best ways was through rescue animals. With the VA moving more slowly than some would like, Bonnie-Jill saw a chance to give back and help these veterans quickly. 

There's a lot of training that goes into creating an awesome service dog or an awesome therapy dog and this is where our Rescue Roast partner Marley's Mutts comes in. Hounds and Heroes needed a great training program and Zack with Marley’s Mutts wanted to be able to provide assistance for veterans. So there will be several certified emotional support dogs graduating from the Pawsitive Change program, finishing the 14 week long program, and then going on to live with the veterans who need their support. And wouldn’t you know it? Hounds and Heroes knows the exact veterans to send them to. Having more dogs graduate from Pawsitive Change will increase the volume of dogs that Hounds and Heroes will be able to pair with veterans, ultimately saving two lives.

One of those lives is veteran Slaven Tomassi and the other is Petey, a 75 pound lapdog. Petey’s always got Slaven’s ‘six’ according to him, “If there's people around, he'll just sit there behind me and watch my back. He comforts me and calms me down, just... being him.” When he looks at Petey you can tell exactly how much Petey means to him. When you can make these kinds of connections you can help these veterans work their way back into society as Bonnie-Jill puts it, “They're back in society not just existing, but actually living.”

Grounds & Hounds knows the difference a rescue dog can make in someone's life. So we couldn't be prouder to partner with Marley's Mutts, this Veteran’s Day, as they support Hounds and Heroes in this important mission to help provide backup for our nation's veterans by helping train emotional support dogs.

So until November 15th, 100% of the profits from Rescue Roast will go to Marley’s Mutts, to specifically help fund their emotional support dog program with Hounds & Heroes. So please pick up a bag of Rescue Roast to help give a second chance not only to some incredible pups but to help a veteran in need.

To join in, pick up a bag of Rescue Roast here!