Dog Lovers/Runners/Walkers Supporting Veterans in Baltimore

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If you have a love of dogs and a desire to help America’s Veterans, please reach out now! Plans are in the works for a timed run & dog walk to take place in Baltimore, MD in Spring of 2020!

Join the event committee for America’s VetDogs, as featured on NBC’s TODAY, with Charlie, our "Puppy with a Purpose"! Committee Volunteers will help solicit for sponsorships, raffle gifts, vendors, food, water, coffee and help with logistics the day of the event.

All proceeds for this event benefits America's VetDogs, an assistance dog program that uses guide, service, facility and therapy dogs to enhance the lives of disabled veterans of all eras. They breed, raise and train their own puppies, instruct and train persons on their use and provide a lifetime of aftercare support FREE of charge for the active team of handler and dog. Through its programs and services, America’s wounded service members receive dogs that provide safety, mobility, balance, stability and companionship. In 2015, they introduced a new Pilot Program for veterans with PTSD and a new hearing dog program. Since its inception, America’s VetDogs has successfully trained hundreds of guide and service dogs for veterans with blindness, spinal cord injuries, hearing impairments, peripheral and central balance disorders, seizure disorders, limb loss, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

For sixteen months, America watched Charlie, a "puppy with a purpose" on NBC’s TODAY. Charlie is now a service dog who was placed with Air Force Staff Sergeant Stacy Pearsall. Through three combat tours, Stacy earned the Bronze Star Medal and Air Force Commendation with Valor for combat actions in Iraq. Though disabled and retired from military service, she continues to work worldwide as an independent photographer, and is an author, educator, military consultant, public speaker and founder of the Veterans Portrait Project. Charlie provides special tasks to increase Stacy’s independence and mobility such as retrieving items, pushing plates to open doors, bracing and counter-balance. Charlie will also help mitigate the symptoms of combat related PTSD by providing nightmare interruption, turning lights on and off, the rest command, as well as comfort and encouragement in new and different social situations.

America’s VetDogs is pleased to have worked on this special initiative with NBC’s TODAY and to have witnessed Charlie’s journey come full circle. However, this effort has brought much attention to America’s VetDogs increasing applications for veterans who wish and qualify to receive a service dog of their own. The need to continue fundraising events is greater than ever before.

We are currently looking for committee members from within the Baltimore community to build a bigger and even better event experience.