Shelter to Soldier awarded PETCO Foundation grant

In December 2017, Petco Foundation awarded Shelter to Soldier a $25,000 grant through its Helping Heroes in-store fundraising campaign. Padre player Carter Kapps, The Pad Squad, Blue Mews and Red Ruff along with coach Glenn Hoffman and family visited the Shelter to Soldier team at its training facility at Pacific Pet Resort for the check presentation, where they met the Shelter to Soldier service dogs in training and some of the organization’s veteran graduates with their service dogs. With this gift, in May 2018 Shelter to Soldier adopted a very kind and affectionate seven-month-old Mastiff puppy from San Diego Department of Animal Services Central Shelter on Gaines Street who will eventually be paired with a post-9/11 combat veteran suffering from invisible wounds.

The San Diego Department of Animals Services team recently rescued 49 Mastiffs from a hoarding situation in San Diego, and this puppy was among them. Despite his circumstances, this male dog is stable, confident and eager to work. He is now settling into his new home with Shelter to Soldier and will begin integrating into its 12-18- month service dog training program, specifically geared toward alleviating the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other injuries associated with traumatic service experiences for a very worthy veteran.

His adoption, care, housing, training and future placement with a veteran from the Shelter to Soldier wait list was generously sponsored by the Petco Foundation through its October 2017 in-store Helping Heroes fundraising campaign.

This is the second dog sponsored by the Petco Foundation. Moose, a two-year-old pit bull mix, previously adopted from San Diego Department of Animal Services Bonita Shelter and sponsored by the Petco Foundation, is thriving in the Shelter to Soldier program and currently meeting approved veterans through its program. He will soon be matched with a veteran handler.

Visit www.sheltertosoldier.org.