Sunday, November 25, 2012

Canines for Veterans Awarded a Grant from explore.org Spirit of ’76 Dog Bless You Campaign


Wilmington, NC November 2012:  Canines for Veterans, a program of Canines for Service, is pleased to announce the receipt of a grant from explore.org, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation, in the amount of $125,000.

DogBless You, a nonprofit community created by explore.org founder and Annenberg Foundation Director and Vice President, Charles Annenberg Weingarten, celebrated dogs and soldiers in America and brought service and companion dogs to war veterans through a challenge grant that incorporated Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest. For every 1,000 new subscribers on the Dog Bless You Facebook, Pinterest, or Tumblr pages, explore.org donated one service or companion dog to a war veteran. Through a grant made possible by the Annenberg Foundation, explore.org  donated up to 76 dogs with the help of nonprofit organizations throughout the US. The Spirit of ’76 was a celebration of 1776, the birth year of our country’s independence. The campaign offered a chance for people to come together and raise awareness surrounding the healing role dogs can play in the lives of those affected by war.

“Canines for Veterans was honored to be selected a part of this engaging social media campaign”, says Rick Hairston, President and CEO of Canines for Service.   “It was a great opportunity to showcase our program but more importantly help provide our service members the chance to return to as normal a life as possible through the gift of a quality trained service dog.”  

The funding from explore.org will assist Canines for Veterans is training and placing five (5) service dogs with Veterans over the months to come.

Canines for Service is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to empowering people with disabilities to achieve greater independence. The group trains and places certified service dogs with the help of volunteer foster families and military prisoners, provides pet therapy certification classes and helps children in our community improve their reading skills. Since its inception in 1996, Canines for Service has provided over $7 million in services to our community. For more information, call (866) 910-3647 or visit www.caninesforservice.org.

To learn more about the work done just this year, read The Tail End, Christmas 2012


Media Contact
Patricia Hairston, Canines for Service
Telephone: 866-910-DOGS (3647)

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