AMERICAS VETDOGS THE VETERANS K-9 CORPS INC
371 E JERICHO TURNPIKE, SMITHTOWN, NY 11787 www.vetdogs.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO ASSIST DISABLED VETERANS, ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL, FIRST RESPONDERS WITH DISABILITIES, AND THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY HONORABLY TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY AND INDEPENDENCE. VETDOGS TRAINS AND PLACES GUIDE DOGS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION; PTSD SERVICE DOGS TO HELP MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER; HEARING DOGS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PROFOUND HEARING LOSS; SERVICE DOGS FOR THOSE WITH OTHER PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND FACILITY DOGS AS PART OF THE REHABILITATION PROCESS IN MILITARY AND VA HOSPITALS.

TRAINING PROGRAM -OUR INSTRUCTORS COMPLETE A THREE YEAR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM BEFORE THEY BECOME CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS. DURING FY 2020, 165 DOGS BEGAN FORMAL TRAINING FOR PLACEMENT WITH A CONSUMER OF EITHER AMERICA'S VETDOGS -THE VETERAN'S K-9 CORPS, INC. OR ITS RELATED ORGANIZATION THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND, INC. AMERICA'S VETDOGS IS MANAGED BY THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION AND REIMBURSES FOR THE SERVICES IT RECEIVES FROM THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION. FORMAL TRAINING OF AN ASSISTANCE DOG TAKES APPROXIMATELY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS DURING WHICH TIME THE FOUNDATION CARES FOR ALL DOGS. DOGS ARE HOUSED ON CAMPUS IN STATE OF THE ART KENNELS IN THE DESIGNATED TRAINING CENTER. NOT EVERY DOG THAT ENTERS FORMAL TRAINING BECOMES A GUIDE OR SERVICE DOG. THE FOUNDATION CURRENTLY ESTIMATES A SUCCESS RATE OF 60%. AFTER COMPLETION OF FORMAL TRAINING, THE DOG IS READY TO BE TEAMED WITH A CONSUMER. THE TRAINING OF THE DOG AND THE STUDENT ARE CUSTOMIZED TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR DISABILITIES. HARNESSES, BACK PACKS AND OTHER REQUIRED ACCESSORIES ARE ALSO CUSTOMIZED TO THE NEEDS OF THE PARTICULAR CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER OR STUDENT AND THEIR DOG ARE TRAINED TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM EITHER ON OUR CAMPUS, IN THE CONSUMER'S HOME COMMUNITY OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THE PROCESS AND THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT CONTINUES AFTER PLACEMENT WITH AFTERCARE, FOLLOW-UP, SUPPORT AND OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE DOG. THE CYCLE IS PERPETUAL, WITH EACH STAGE FINANCED 100% BY THE ORGANIZATIONS.

DURING FY 2020 THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTED 125 DOGS IN THE BREEDING COLONY. THE BREEDING COLONY IS CAREFULLY SELECTED AFTER EXTENSIVE SCREENING AND TESTING. DURING FY 2020, 447 PUPPIES WERE ADDED TO THE PROGRAMS OF AMERICA'S VETDOGS AND THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION. PUPPIES SPEND SEVEN TO EIGHT WEEKS IN OUR PUPPY NURSERY. FROM THE NURSERY THEY SPEND APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR IN THE HOME OF A VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISER OR PRISON PUPPY PROGRAM BEFORE COMING BACK TO THE FOUNDATION FOR FORMAL TRAINING. DURING FY 2020 A TOTAL OF 447 PUPPIES WERE PLACED. 351 PUPPIES WERE PLACED IN PUPPY RAISER HOMES AND 96 PUPPIES PARTICIPATED IN OUR PRISON PUPPY PROGRAM. IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FY 20, DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS THE PRISONS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED THE PRISON PUPPY PROGRAMS AND ALL PUPPIES NEEDED TO TRANSFER OUT. OUR WEEKEND VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISERS HOUSED AND CARED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE DOGS IN THE PRISON PROGRAM. IN SOME INSTANCES OTHER VOLUNTEER RAISERS WERE DEPLOYED AND ALL PUPPIES CARED FOR DURING THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTION SHUT DOWN. THE ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY SUPPORTS PUPPY RAISERS IN NEARLY 20 STATES AND HAS AGREEMENTS WITH 13 PRISONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, MARYLAND, FLORIDA, MAINE, PENNSYLVANIA AND CONNECTICUT. DURING THE TIME THEY ARE IN PUPPY RAISER HOMES, WE SUPPORT THE VOLUNTEER FAMILY THROUGH CONSTANT OUTREACH, COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING. WE BRING OUR VOLUNTEER REGIONAL PUPPY RAISER COORDINATORS ON CAMPUS FOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT THAT THEY CAN SHARE WITH THEIR LOCAL REGIONALLY BASED PUPPY RAISING FAMILIES. OUR PROFESSIONAL PUPPY STAFF SUPPORTS OUR PUPPY RAISING VOLUNTEERS AND OUR STAFF TYPICALLY VISITS EACH PRISON WEEKLY TO FOLLOW UP AND TRAIN THE INMATE HANDLERS WHO ARE CAREFULLY SCREENED TO INSURE THEY ARE SUITABLE CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.

STUDENT AND GRADUATE SERVICES -DURING FY 2020, AMERICA'S VETDOGS - GRADUATED 9 GUIDE DOG TEAMS, 13 PTSD/SERVICE DOG TEAMS, 23 SERVICE DOG TEAMS, 1 SEIZURE/SERVICE DOG TEAM, 4 HEARING/SERVICE DOG TEAMS AND PLACED 1 FACILITY DOG AT PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEDICAL HOSPITAL. IN ADDITION THE GUIDEDOG FOUNDATION GRADUATED 41 TEAMS WHICH INCLUDED 2 FACILITY PLACEMENTS. ONE AT THE HELEN KELLER NATIONAL CENTER AND ONE AT UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES. ADDITIONALLY, AMERICA'S VETDOGS WAS ON TARGET TO COMPLETE AN ADDITIONAL 24 PLACEMENTS AND THE GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION WAS ON TARGET TO COMPLETE AN ADDITIONAL 20 PLACEMENTS DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER OF FY 2020, BUT WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THESE PLACEMENTS DUE TO MANDATORY SHUTDOWN RESTRICTIONS DUE TO COVID-19. EACH CONSUMER'S NEEDS ARE EVALUATED, AND IF POSSIBLE A DOG IS TRAINED TO MEET THOSE NEEDS. SOME OF THE DISABILITIES SERVED INCLUDE: PHYSICALLY DISABLED, PROSTHETIC LIMB RECIPIENTS, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES, PROFOUND HEARING LOSS AND THOSE WITH A PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS OF PTSD. IN ADDITION TO THE TASKS, THE DOGS ARE TRAINED TO MITIGATE A PERSON'S DISABILITY. SERVICE DOGS ALSO PROVIDE COMFORT AND PROVIDE RE-SOCIALIZATION ASSISTANCE FOR OUR VETERANS. STUDENTS TYPICALLY STAY ON CAMPUS APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS IN THE STUDENT RESIDENCE WHICH CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 17 STUDENTS AT A TIME. EACH STUDENT HAS A PRIVATE ROOM WITH PRIVATE BATH. THE RESIDENCE IS STAFFED 24 HOURS PER DAY. ALL MEALS ARE PROVIDED. STUDENTS CAN ALSO RECEIVE HOME TRAINING, WHERE THE FOUNDATION SENDS A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR TO THE STUDENT'S HOME COMMUNITY.

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