Veterans needing a friend and pups wanting hugs can be matches made in heaven.
“With a goal of ending veteran suicide, Maine Paws for Veterans has created a unique training program that pairs rescued dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD, bringing two troubled lives together to create a bond of love, healing and newfound hope.”
Veterans in crisis who end up with smiles.
Dogs needing TLC that end up with tails wagging.
The only question is which one benefits more – a vet or soldier in needing his face licked by an excited, slobbering puppy or the four-legged creature looking for nothing more than to be asked over and over again “who’s a guhboy? (Or, “who’s a guhgirl?!”)
The Maine Paws for Veterans program matches qualified dogs with veterans living with military-related PTSD.
In this unique program, pairs progress through service dog training together, enriching both lives while building peer relationships.
Maine Paws for Veterans is a non-profit corporation established as Embrace-A-Vet in 2012.
Founded by Joy Johnson of Harpswell, Embrace-A-Vet initially focused on retreats for veterans and spouses and later on service dog training for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In 2021, Maine Paws for Veterans was established to provide service dog training and support for veterans with military-related PTSD.
Maine Paws for Veterans and Embrace A Vet have graduated approximately 130 teams of veterans and service dogs since 2012.
Johnson, a retired social worker, “was talented, compassionate and unafraid of jumping into a situation with both feet,” the organization says.
“Back then, we knew little about her can-do attitude and boundless energy. She immediately blasted off an email to several of her friends, saying ‘we need to do something about this!’ Without a doubt, she meant the royal ‘we.’”
Johnson, daughter of a Navy pilot and spouse of a career naval officer, learned in 2012 about an epidemic of veterans dying by suicide.
Her selfless work had only just begun.
Johnson died nine years ago at Mid Coast Hospital’s Bodwell Hospice Facility in Brunswick, having lost a valiant battle against pancreatic cancer.
Organizers are holding a charity golf tournament on September 23 at the Willowdale Country Club in Scarborough. For more information on how to participate, contact organizers HERE.
