American Humane has been supporting the U.S. military for over a century—our animal rescue program was born on the battlefields of World War I in Europe, where, at the request of the then-U.S. Secretary of War, volunteers with American Humane were deployed to rescue and care for 68,000 wounded war horses each month. Today, our commitment to our nation’s servicemembers continues by providing the best care to heroic military K-9s and offering life-changing programs to all who serve—including reuniting retired military dogs with their former handlers, helping veterans with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury obtain service dogs, honoring courageous military dogs, and so much more.
This November, American Humane proudly partnered with Nylabone, a trusted manufacturer of dog chews, bones, treats and toys designed to meet the natural chewing needs of any dog breed. The focus of Nylabone’s generous support? Our Pups4Patriots™ program, which trains unwanted dogs to become lifesaving service animals for veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
Each service dog that graduates from the Pups4Patriots™ program is trained on a variety of tasks to help his or her paired veteran navigate the symptoms of PTS and TBI. After months of extensive training, the veterans and service dogs meet at our training facility in North Carolina, where the pairs spend almost two weeks practicing their new skills and developing an unbreakable bond.
The process is difficult—emotions run high, and the stress of a new environment can mean that both the dogs and veterans need breaks in between training sessions. The veterans are encouraged to use products like Nylabone to help their service dogs release anxious behaviors. Playtime also allows for another important part of training week—the bonding process.
The bonds that exist between a veteran and his or her service dog are unbreakable. A big thank you to Nylabone for supporting our Pups4Patriots™ program, which creates these bonds, and for allowing our service-dogs-in-training to de-stress using Nylabone products.
