TailsInc.com

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) recently announced Paws and Stripes, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs for veterans of the United States military, as its official charity.Paws and Stripesworks with veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), pairing them with trained service dogs who have been rescued from shelters. In the Paws and Stripes program, the service dogs are trained by professionals at no cost to the veteran. The veteran can select his or her own service dog and participate in the weekly training from the very first day, providing a unique form of interactive therapy.

Paws and Stripes was founded by Lindsey Stanek, whose husband was sent home from his third tour in Iraq for injuries he received on deployment. After nine months in treatment, Lindsey’s husband, Jim, discovered that the most comfort and relief he found was in the presence of therapy dogs. In May 2010, Lindsey and Jim tried to obtain a trainer for their rescue dog, Sarge, and soon discovered the difficulty and expenses associated with this process. After being either turned down or unable to pay for service dogs from multiple organizations, Lindsey and Jim decided to start their own organization for veterans, and incorporated Paws and Stripes in June 2010. Since then, the program has developed into a highly regarded organization recognized by Time Magazine and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Paws and Stripes currently has 10 veterans in the program with more than 160 people on the waitlist.