American Humane and Ultra team up to put a second healing leash into the hands of a veteran in need
WASHINGTON, DC, August 15, 2022 – American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare practices, today announced that Ultra provided a grant in support of American Humane’s Pups4Patriots™ program, helping to put a healing leash into the hands of a veteran in need. The Pups4Patriots program finds dogs in search of forever homes and trains them to be lifesaving service dogs for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress or Traumatic Brain Injury. Ultra sponsored the training of Tony, a U.S. Army veteran, and his service dog, Ringo. This is the second pairing Ultra has funded.
“For many brave members of our nation’s armed forces, coming home as a civilian is only the beginning of another daunting battle,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “Service dogs are an invaluable asset to veterans with trauma, but tragically, there are many obstacles standing in the way of veterans in need of service dogs including long waiting lists and exorbitant costs. This generous gift from Ultra will tangibly change the life of a veteran through the healing power of the human-animal bond.”
The invisible wounds of war, including PTS and TBI, can cause debilitating symptoms in veterans, leading to depression, social isolation and, far too often, suicide. Research shows that specially trained PTS service dogs can reduce stress and anxiety levels, mitigate depression, ease social reintegration, provide comfort and restore confidence in affected veterans. However, properly training a dog so they perform their needed tasks and remain calm and focused in public areas can be both expensive and time-consuming, prices reaching upwards of $30,000 per service dog.
American Humane offers exceptionally trained service dogs to veterans in need, at no cost to the veteran, and oversees intensive hands-on training sessions to cultivate the important connection between the veteran and his or her new service dog. American Humane has provided service dogs and training to more than 200 veterans across the country, with the support of donors.
“Ultra is proud to sponsor American Humane’s Pups4Patriots program” said Lori Thompson, Ultra’s Senior Vice President of Strategy Business Development and Marketing. “Across Ultra we strive every day to keep our soldiers from harm, we consider it an honor to be able to directly contribute to the health and wellbeing of one of our veterans. It is a great reward for us to see Tony and Ringo matched!”
Tony, a recent Pups4Patrios graduate, served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2014 as a vehicle mechanic and a Black Hawk pilot. He lives in Oklahoma and is paired with Ringo, a miniature Australian Shepherd. Ultra’s grant covered the cost of their training.
“My partnership with Ringo has touched my life in ways I’m not sure I can even put to words,” said Tony. “Ringo has brought a level of social ease back to my life I wasn’t sure I would have again. Having him with me draws people to me, but also causes others to keep their distance and respect my personal space… Ringo’s companionship has helped sustain me through extremely trying emotional times and kept me from falling into depression. I can’t express my gratitude enough.”
Tony and Ringo are the second pairing Ultra has sponsored. In 2021, Ultra funded the training of Shawn, a U.S. Army veteran, and his service dog, Rainier.
American Humane has been first to serve with the U.S. military for more than a century and is committed to harnessing the power of the human-animal bond to put more healing leashes into the hands of veterans in need. To learn more about our military programs, visit www.AmericanHumane.org/Military.
