VOTE STIGGY’S everyday in May!

https://apronsinaction.homedepotfoundation.org/

We are so lucky to be among the contestants in the Home Depot Foundation’s Aprons in Action Grand Finale Contest this month.  To be recognized truly is an honor and it has already brought us new contacts from all over the country. Many people may be wondering what is behind this contest and why voting for Stiggy’s is so important.

What makes Stiggy’s Dogs necessary?

One in eight military veterans return from Iraq or Afghanistan with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  The Veteran’s Administration is at least two years behind in processing claims and traditional treatments do not always work. With over 2.4 million men and women having served in our military in Iraq and Afghanistan alone, the number of veterans with PTSD and TBI is simply alarming.

How does Stiggy’s Dogs help?

There are an estimated five million dogs in shelters and rescues across the country at any given point in time.  Sadly, many of these dogs are euthanized due to limited space.  Many of these dogs would make amazing psychiatric service dogs who could help a veteran with PTSD or TBI by turning on lights, reminding them to take their medication, watching their back in public and generally helping to eliminate or lesson triggers that might make it impossible to live a normal existence.

The use of psychiatric service dogs for PTSD and TBI has been shown time and time again to be an effective treatment where other treatments have stalled or failed.  Eighty percent of those being treated with the use of a psychiatric service dog have had improvement over traditional care.   In a day in age where veteran suicide rates are skyrocketing with PTSD and TBI a root cause in many of them, a psychiatric service dog could quite literally save someone’s life.

How can you help in 60 seconds a day? And why should you?

Unlike many of the other organizations up for this prize, Stiggy’s Dogs does not currently have a full time staff or government funding.   We have made great strides in the past few years, but this grant would mean four things could happen right away:

1.  Commencement of a multi-use training facility for classes and more complete training in a controlled environment so more veterans could be trained at one time.

2.  Ten additional dog/veteran pairs in the first year alone would result from this money.  An estimated twenty additional pairs would occur in the following year.

3.  Greater regional support for deployed veterans.  A psychiatric service dog is an ongoing treatment and ongoing adjustments need to be made.  We are only able to do this with veterans who live close to our headquarters now, but this money would allow us to travel and hire regional staff to help our deployed veterans and dogs learn new tasks and skills.

4.  More community education and outreach.  Educating the public about veteran’s issues such as PTSD, TBI and psychiatric service dogs is just part of what Stiggy’s Dogs does, but it is an important part.  Awareness of these issues could save a life.

These four things mean more dogs with more veterans.  More lives saved.  With your 60 seconds everyday in May, you could save a life…actually, you could save two: the life of a veteran in need and the life of a rescue dog who is ready to serve.

Our veterans need Stiggy’s Dogs.  They can count on us for the long haul.  Can we count on you for 60 seconds a day this month?

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