When disabled veteran Hank Urnaitis answered the door, he wasn’t expecting Paws of War to be there, ready to help him through the pandemic. But that’s just what they did. The organization, which helps veterans and animals, stopped by to provide Hank with face masks and pet food. They also teamed up with Cambridge Catering to take him some prepared meals. When they looked around, they realized that he had some safety issues on his property that needed to be addressed, so they also got busy fixing those items, too.
“Hank is a decorated veteran who we paired up a service dog with back in 2016,” explains John Walis, veteran relations director of Paws of War. “We know he’s humble and didn’t want to take the assistance, but we wanted to give back to our veterans in need who won’t ask for help. It’s paramount that we are there for them and their service dogs now and in the future.”
After delivering the essential items, the Paws of War team took to helping with some safety issues that needed to be done. They fixed unsafe boards in the steps leading up to his home, replaced tattered flags in his yard, and fixed an area of his fencing a tree had fallen on.
The area of the fence that was down made it impossible for Hank to allow his dog to run around the yard, adding to his stress of trying to take him out for walks each day. By repairing the fence, Hank will be able to once again allow his dog to run free in the yard. All the supplies for the repairs were provided by Paws of War, and they provided the services free of charge.
Seeing the tattered flags be replaced with new ones was the biggest perk for the veteran. Being a proud veteran, the flags were a big deal for him. The organization is on a mission to help even more veterans through the pandemic, but they need the public to team up with them to help make it happen.
“We fight to save lives on both ends of the leash, and we are honored to be able to help Hank and other veterans just like him,” added Walis. “We use the donations that people give to us to help vets and pets. During this time there are many veterans who could use some additional supplies or assistance, and we will continue to what we can to help them. Donations are down, yet we have more veterans to help, so we really need the support of the community at this time.”
The Paws of War team was able to capture some video footage of their efforts and have created a video that can be seen here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=
Paws of War rescues dogs, provides them with proper training, and then pairs them with veterans who need therapy animals, all free of charge. They also help soldiers bring their dog back to America after serving in the Middle East. Those who would like to learn more about supporting Paws of War and its mission can go online to: http://pawsofwar.org. To make a donation visit: https://pawsofwar.org/donate-
About Paws of War
Paws of War is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides assistance to military members and their pets, rescues and trains dogs to be service dogs, and provides therapy dogs to veterans. To learn more about Paws of War and the programs provided or to make a donation visit its site at: http://pawsofwar.org.
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