Paws4vets HEROES
The Heroes First Foundation relies on raising funds primarily at our annual golf tournament and through donations given throughout the year. 100% of the funds raised are given directly to paws4vets at the golf tournament, which is held every spring. All U.S. Military servicemen and servicewomen who register for the event are granted complimentary registration for the tournament. Regardless of your level of support or involvement, the Heroes First Foundation appreciates all donations, sponsorships, volunteers, golfers and overall efforts that help.
ROBERT B. & RHODE
Robert spent a total of 27 years in the US Navy and Navy Reserve, including 6 combat tours. He’s been diag-nosed with PTS, as well as Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression. He often isolates himself from others, and the community as a whole. And because of his insom-nia, he finds it hard to get out of bed, lacks motivation (and energy) to complete everyday tasks, and frequent-ly suffers from nightmares and Apnea-induced breath-ing disruptions when he does sleep. He also experiences auditory hallucinations that frequently haunt him and nourish his anxieties.
In March of 2018, Robert met RHODE! RHODE will give Robert the motivation and purpose he needs to face each day with a positive attitude, and to reconnect with his community. RHODE will also help by alerting to his anxiety, interrupting nightmares, and retrieving items that are out of his reach. We are excited to watch Robert and RHODE grow as a team!
RANDY P. & MORGAN
Randy first discovered the paws4people organization/family in March 2016. In April 2016 he became a Volunteer Community Liaison for paws4people and shortly thereafter a client. Randy attends many fund raising events throughout the year, but his primary focus is during the Combined Federal Campaign (Sept – Dec), when his goal is to visit as many Government agency fund raising events as possible and to share the paws4vets mission. Randy’s Assistance Dog MORGAN helps him by interrupting his panic attacks and nightmares. She can also retrieve items and helps Randy with balance through her Mobility Assistance Training. Shortly after being introduced to paws4people, Randy knew he had found his purpose post-retirement. He is in his element when he is working with his wife, Donna, and MORGAN, to raise awareness and promote paws4people, paws4prisons/paws4vets; three programs that he knows changes, and even saves lives each, and every day!
MICHAEL S. & ROSEY
Michael served in the USMC. He was medically discharged after suffering a back injury during ODS. He also has significant hearing loss and tinnitus as a result of his time overseas. He struggles with the loss of one of his friends who committed suicide and for many years he has tried to hide his issues from the rest of the world. His anxiety, sleeplessness, irritability and guilt have since come to light and he is ready to deal with everything for the sake of his wife and daughter. Michael is diagnosed with PTS, Chronic Low Back Injury and Hearing Loss. Sweet ROSEY bumped with Michael in December 2016. ROSEY will help Michael by alerting to sounds, interrupting his behaviors, anchoring when he is anxious and retrieval of items when he cannot move due to his back injury.
TERRY H. & CAMPBELL
Terry began training dogs over forty years ago. His early focus was with German Shepherds and advanced obedience training. In the late 1990s he was introduced to Golden Retrievers and quickly fell in love with the breed. Terry served in the Military from 1972 to 1977 and from 1979 to 1987. Since his discharge, Terry has battled the symptoms of Complex/Chronic Post Traumatic Stress (CPTS) and Moral Injury. In 1999, he began training his own Psychiatric Medical Alert Assistance Dog to help mitigate his CPTS symptoms. From 2002 to 2006, Terry and his Assistance Dogs worked in several special needs classrooms, where he developed training protocols and methodologies for Assistance Dog utilization within the special education classroom environment. There, his Dogs worked with hundreds of special needs students, helping them to exceed their Individual Educational Plan requirements utilizing animal-assisted instruction. In 2009, after a decade of training and working with his Psychiatric Medical Alert Assistance Dogs, he turned his attention to helping Veterans with PTS. He developed training protocols and methodologies wherein a Psychiatric Medical Alert Assistance Dog is used as an adjunct medical device that enables each Client to manage his or her PTS symptom set. Terry has supervised the placement of every paws4vets Psychiatric Medical Alert Assistance Dog with a Client since 2008. He has also expanded the utilization of this unique Psychiatric Medical Alert Assistance Dog/adjunct psychological therapeutic intervention application to other psychological diagnoses such as: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI),
Dissociative Amnesia (DA), Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and most importantly, PTS resulting from Sexual Trauma (ST). Terry was honored as ION TV’s Everyday Hero in 2015; and was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award in 2016.
JEFF M. & AUSTIN
Jeff served 2 combat tours in Iraq with the 2/3 ACR in 2003 and 2005. He was medically retired from the Army with severe Complex Post Traumatic Stress. By 2009, he was desperate to find relief and began training with paws4vets. Because of the support of paws4vets and his Assistance Dog, AUSTIN, Jeff is now a Peer Mentor with paws4vets helping other veterans learn how to use their dog to help with their symptoms. He and AUSTIN also speak to groups about the mission of paws4vets and the value of Assistance Dogs to make a difference in the lives of those who have served. AUSTIN is Jeff’s second paws4vets Assistance Dog. His first dog, TAZIE, is enjoying her retirement and seems happy to let AUSTIN take over as Jeff’s partner. Jeff says that “AUSTIN is amazing, whenever I look at him he always seems to be smiling. He is my light in darkness and is able to guide me to a better frame of mind.
ADAM S. & RUSHMORE
Adam requested an Assistance Dog to aid with his PTS symptoms. In Afghanistan in 2010 he was hit by an IED and he suffered a TBI as well as minor physical injuries. He returned from deployment and found that he is constantly on guard, easily agitated and has a very short temper. He wants to be a better man for his wife and children. It’s hard to be that man when he has so much flashing through his head. Adam is also a firefighter and he feels like this is his calling in life, other than being a Marine. He loves his job but the stress of that job tends to heighten his PTS. He feels as though having an Assistance Dog will help him to better cope with his job. In July 2016, Adam met his new battle buddy, RUSHMORE. This team will do amazing things together! RUSHMORE will interrupt negative behaviors that Adam is displaying by alerting him. RUSHMORE will also interrupt Adam’s nightmares and assist with his anxiety and hypervigilance by anchoring on him in his time of need.