Cpl. Niles keeps a sharp eye out as he glides along the aisles. He’s looking for anything that his partner could need, listening for any help that would be wanted. His blue jacket is proudly displaying his ID, and his tail is wagging in a rhythmic, clock-like, manner.

Cpl. Niles is a service dog. His human partner, Col. Roger Lintz, received him through the Paws for Purple Hearts program.

The PPH is a California-based program that breeds, trains and pairs service dogs with compatible veteran and active-duty partners, based on need.

“The dogs are trained to know 90 to 100 different commands,” said PPH trainer Robert Porter. “As they are paired with their partners, they can learn the individual’s needs.”

The training process is a long and adaptive process for the animals. It starts behind closed doors, in a controlled environment. Once the initial training is finished, the dogs are paired up, and both the dog and owner train together.

“We have them practice in a real world environment,” Porter said. “We take them on field trips to places like the Metro, movie theaters and stores. We make the dogs go through things that aren’t normal for them, like riding escalators.”

Part of the training the coupled pair experience, is bonding.

“After a year or so, the dogs can actually anticipate what their human partners will need,” said Porter.

Read full article here.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation on October 11, 2011 that would create up to five pilot programs at VA medical centers across the country modeled after the Paws for Purple Hearts program. The Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act, H.R. 198, was sponsored by Rep. Michael Grimm, (R-NY).  Under the legislation, veterans will be able to address their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through therapeutic dog training and handling. The trained service dogs will then be given to physically disabled veterans to help them meet their daily challenges.  The legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for action.

Read the full article here.

Paws for Purple Heart lend support to their fellow Veterans…in companionship, lifelong friendships and Hearts of Gold…

Paws for Purple Hearts (PPH) is the first program of its kind to offer therapeutic intervention for veterans and active-duty military personnel by teaching those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to train service dogs for their comrades with combat-related physical disabilities. PPH is built upon the trusted and time-honored tradition of veterans helping veterans.

Founded in 2006 as a program of California’s Bergin University for Canine Studies, Paws for Purple Hearts has operated its intensive training programs at four locations throughout the United States: Palo Alto/Menlo Park VA Medical Center (California), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Bethesda, Maryland), the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (Bethesda, Maryland), and Fort Belvoir (Virginia).

Under the guidance of PPH instructors, service members engage with specially-bred Golden and Labrador Retriever puppies. Together they undergo an intensive 18-to-24-month service dog training regimen—learning more than 90 commands–while the veterans reintegrate into civilian life. Once training is complete, the service dogs are given to veterans who have sustained mobility-limiting injuries. These service dogs reside for the rest of their lives with their new owners.  Since PPH’s inception, service dog training and connections have directly impacted hundreds of veterans’ lives.

For those men and women suffering from PTSD, the very process of training the puppies results in therapeutic benefits which can include:

• less anxiety and depression
• decreased dependence upon pain medications
• greater sociability and a more positive outlook a mission-driven focus and renewed sense of purpose.

To those with combat disabilities, receiving a fully-trained service dog means having a new steadfast companion and a true partner in their recovery. It also translates to greater independence, as PPH dogs help out by performing tasks like picking up dropped items, tugging open and closing doors, and switching on lights.  And the dogs? They benefit from loving homes and the positive reinforcement received for playing such important roles in the well-being of their owners.  The Paws for Purple Hearts program embodies our motto: Veterans helping Veterans.

For additional information and how you can lend support or financial assistance be sure to contact Robert W. Porter – Executive Director & CEO – Paws for Purple Hearts -  202.681.9575   -  www.pawsforpurplehearts.org

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Tammy Bowers is a Charter Member and Community Reporter with the Village Connector Community News. She is the Co-Owner of Rolling Ads of Maryland, a unique branding company as well as an Outdoor Mobile Billboard Advertising Vehicle. She is also the Owner ofInspiring Hearts LLC, a boutique specializing with handcrafted and uniquely designed items that are motivational and inspirational. You can reach Tammy at 410-615-4117 or 410-812-6024 or via email at Tammy@Rollingads.com.

Link to the article: http://villageconnector.com/howardcountymd/2012/01/paws-for-purple-hearts/

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Join Northeastern State University on Tuesday, Oct. 4, when the RiverHawks women’s soccer team hosts Harding for “Military Appreciation Night” at Dr. Dan DeLoache Field.

Admission is free to this event, which begins at 7:00 p.m., though opportunities will be plentiful to make donations with all proceeds benefitting Paws for Purple Hearts. A silent auction will be conducted for an autographed NSU Soccer jersey, autographed team photos will be on sale for $10 and all concession proceeds will be donated as well.

 Santa Rosa,CA– The Board of Directors of the non-profit, national veterans assistance organization Paws for Purple Hearts (PPH) has named Robert W. Porter as its new executive director and chief executive officer.

Originally created as a research program of Bergin University for Canine Studies to provide therapeutic intervention through the training of service dogs for servicemen and women wounded in the Iraqi and Afghanistan conflicts, PPH recently was spun off as a freestanding organization and Porter will begin his role in a new Washington,D.C., office.

“I am delighted that Mr. Porter has accepted the position of CEO,” said Dr. Bonita Bergin, Bergin University president and creator of the term “service dog.” “He is a highly accomplished government affairs professional who brings more than 30 years of advocacy experience on Capitol Hill and in the private sector. His strong record of legislative success, coalition-building and business management make him highly qualified for this position.”

Porter will assume responsibilities previously managed by Dr. Bergin and other members of her university staff. Among his goals will be expanding the program to an even larger population of servicemen and women; tripling the number of current programs to provide service dogs at additional Veterans Administration medical centers and military facilities across the country; broadening the funding base and attracting retired senior military officers and experts in the fields of PTSD treatment and corporate social responsibility to the Board of Directors.

Prior to joining PPH, Porter was a senior government relations advisor at Witt Associates, where he helped develop an integral government relations practice to complement the firm’s disaster mitigation and preparedness missions. Previously, he was a vice president at The Cohen Group, an international business consultancy headed by former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. At the Cohen Group, Porter designed and implemented comprehensive legislative strategies for clients in international trade, homeland security, military base closures and natural disaster response, among others. He also served as a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

About PPH

The only program of its kind in the world, PPH builds on the time-honored tradition of soldiers helping soldiers. Using the Canine-Assisted Reintegration Experience, PPH teaches wounded veterans to train service dogs to assist comrades with physical disabilities. The process engages veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) in a mission to train service dogs as part of their rehabilitation therapy. Such training creates a sense of purpose, enhances self-worth and encourages social relationships for those with PTSD. In turn, the fully trained service dogs are given to physically disabled veterans to assist them with daily activities such as pulling wheelchairs, opening doors and cabinets and retrieving dropped items.

PPH initially was integrated into the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care Service’s Menlo Park facility. In 2009, Bergin University launched a second program at the Walter Reed National Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., now relocated to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. PPH also operates additional programs at Ft. Belvoir,VA, and the National Intrepid Center for Excellence in Bethesda, MD.