THREE DOG BAKERY HONORS RETURNING VETERANS WITH ANNUAL VETERANS’ DAY PROMOTION
Proceeds to Support Service Dog for Veterans in Need
Kansas City – Wednesday, November 11 marks a day our nation honors its military servicemen and women. It’s also a day Three Dog Bakery pays tribute to U.S. veterans with a special promotion to raise money for service dogs.
Since 2014, Three Dog Bakery and man’s best friend continue to do their part on Veterans Day by providing military veterans with service dogs. Each year Three Dog Bakery donates an amount equal to 15% of the total branded product sales it takes on Veterans Day through its bakeries and retail outlets to FISH – Friends in Service to Heroes. So far, they’ve donated over $60 000 and provided many wonderful service dogs to heroes in need.
FISH is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping veterans and their families maintain their freedom and improve their quality of life. With the donations from the Three Dog Bakery Veterans’ Day promotion, FISH will purchase service dogs to distribute to veterans in need, like Josh who received Maggie in 2016.
“We’ve always been humbled by the sacrifices the men and women of our military make on behalf of American freedom, and we recognize the struggles they have returning home,” Aziz Giga, Three Dog Bakery, LLC CEO says. “It’s so important for those of us who have benefitted from their sacrifices to do what we can to help. For many, there is no greater need than simple, daily assistance – the kind that can often be provided with a service dog.”
In fact, many returning military personnel and veterans face a myriad of challenges that can be aided with the use of a service dog, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, immobility, and inactivity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, about 3.4 million veterans had a service-connected disability.
Service members and veterans are provided with highly specialized service dogs that help them find a new level of independence in their post-combat life.
These service dogs are specially trained to help perform a multitude of tasks that increase the autonomy of their human partners, including retrieving items from the refrigerator, pushing handicap buttons, turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors and so much more. What was once impossible becomes possible. People paired with service dogs show significant improvements psychologically, socially – even economically.
Not surprisingly, service dogs are in high demand. The most common breeds are Labradors, Golden Retrievers or a mix of the two. Service training begins when the dogs are young and wait times for these highly-trained canines vary from six months to three years. Once placed, these dogs will work on average eight to 10 years before they retire.
While some organizations charge the recipients for their assistance dog to recoup some of the animals’ training costs, FISH does not. The veterans receive their dogs free of charge. “Service and companion dogs have become a life-changing necessity for many returning veterans, but are cost-prohibitive for most,” says FISH Founder Paul Chapa.
With 50 million dog owners in the U.S., Three Dog Bakery believes the necessary financial support to provide service dogs is an affirmation of the many benefits provided by living with a dog and a tribute to its loyal customers, the many four-legged friends who press their noses up against the bakery glass or who enjoy their treats at home. Three Dog Bakery will pioneer this annual tradition just as it did the canine bakery concept over 25 years ago. Popular among pups and their parents alike, its products feature a diverse array of premium, baked in the USA treats for those special times in a dog’s or family’s life.
