Jennifer Lengel runs a dog boarding and grooming business in La Crosse, Wis. But when she discovered recently that pet owners who lose their homes are often forced to choose between getting housing in shelters and keeping their beloved dogs, she decided to create a nonprofit to help out. Her group, Homeless Hounds, provides free care and shelter to dogs until their families are able to reclaim them. Dogs can stay as long as they need to, and owners can come in to visit their pets whenever they want. The nonprofit, which relies on donations from the community, launched this year and so far has helped care for 30 dogs. To date, 16 pets have been returned to their families.
Tag: dogs
These Dogs Know How to Serve Their Masters and Their Country
A Pennsylvania program called Dog T.A.G.S. is helping veterans suffering from PTSD train their own pets as service animals to help them feel more at ease navigating crowds and being out in public. The acronym stands for Train, Assist, Guide and Serve, and the dogs, ranging from poodles to springer spaniels, each wear a service vest made out of the camouflage fatigues of its veteran owner. Kim Maugans and other volunteers started Dog T.A.G.S. in 2012, realizing that most veterans wouldn’t be able to pay thousands of dollars for a specially trained service dog. It takes a special animal to help some veterans heal.