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VetDogs, based in Connecticut, hosts special fundraisers to raise money

Date: 8/28/2019

AGAWAM – For the second year in a row, a special fundraiser in Agawam will help raise money for VetDogs, an organization that breeds, trains, and places service dogs with veterans.

Agawam resident, Jack Chamberlain, volunteers for the organization and planned this year’s and the 2018 fundraisers. He first got involved with VetDogs during his sophomore year of high school when his family became weekend puppy raisers.

“So they have a program, and what it is, is five days a week the dogs are at a prison, training with an inmate, with the inmates 24/7,” he said. “And then on the weekends we picked them up, we’d get to take them out to restaurants, bars, grocery stores.”

Locally, Chamberlain said VetDogs is based in Connecticut and prisoners at a jail in Somers raise the dogs throughout the weekdays because they’re able to devote 100 percent of their time training the dogs. This, Chamberlain said, helps the organization in several different ways.

“The inmates can give 100 percent of their attention to the dogs, usually within about a year they’re ready to go back for formal training. Which is great for the program because that means they can get the dogs to the veterans faster,” he said. “But that also means they can stay with the veterans longer because usually once they get to about eight-years-old or so they retire.”

VetDogs trains dogs in six different areas to do different tasks and provide support in various situations. Dogs can be trained to be a guide dog, a service dog, a PTSD service dog, a hearing dog, a seizure response dog, or a facility dog. Once a dog has been placed with the veteran, they must go to the foundation in Long Island to go through a two week introduction on how to interact with the dog. There they’re housed, fed, and taken care of. The only cost to the veteran throughout the dog’s life, Chamberlain said, is the cost of feeding the dogs and toys veterans might buy for their service dog.

The entire process of breeding, training, and placing a dog with a veteran costs VetDogs around $50,000 per dog. This is why Chamberlain said the fundraisers are important. The first fundraiser, in 2018, had around 150 people in attendance and raised around $6,000, according to Chamberlain.

This year’s fundraiser will be held at the Polish American Club of Agawam from 5 to 7 p.m on Sept. 7. Tickets cost $25 and include a night of food, trivia, prizes, and live music. In addition to the trivia, hosted by BarRated Trivia from Connecticut, the event will also feature local resources for veterans and others who may be impacted by traumatic brain injuries, suicide, PTSD, etc.

“This year we’re more focused on, obviously the trivia is a big part of it, but also really just bringing in veteran organizations,” Chamberlain told Reminder Publishing. “Because it’s not just a platform to raise money and awareness for VetDogs, but also to raise awareness for other vet[eran] organizations.” One organization that will be attending the event will be giving away thousands of free backpacks filled with supplies to veterans.

Having organizations that reach other people impacted by situations similar to what veterans are going through can be helpful. “The veteran population is very small and concentrated, so if you can get other people involved, that not only makes the veterans feel more comfortable,” he said. “They can connect with people like themselves that are dealing with similar situations, but [it] also means more people are involved and they can spread the word.”

Chamberlain said there are other ways people can help veterans like volunteering to become weekend puppy raisers, donating to veteran organizations or VetDogs, and spreading the word about the work organizations like VetDogs are doing.

“Just word of mouth, that’s the biggest thing. They have really expanded into a national organization and getting the word out through means like the Today Show and through social media,” he said. “But people don’t always hear about it, so word of mouth that’s the biggest way to support.”

And while Chamberlain wants people to support and give to VetDogs, he is also encouraging people to give to other veteran organizations as well. “It’s great to support this organization, but it’s also great to support other vet organizations,” he told Reminder Publishing. “Yeah, each organization helps the veteran population in their own unique way, but at the end of the day you’re helping the same population and that’s really what they’re all about.”

Tickets for the event can be bought at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salute-to-soldiers-2nd-annual-fundraiser-to-benefit-americas-vetdogs-tickets-56141230933.