Spring has arrived and so has the beautiful weather here in Virginia! The Paws for Purple Hearts service dogs in training have been enjoying more play time in the yard without getting muddy, as well as going on various outdoor outings.  Outings into the community help each dog become a better potential service dog.  They expose each dog to a wide variety of situations, sights, smells, sounds and people.  This helps make sure they can focus on assisting their injured Warriors under all conditions.

One of these outings included a visit to Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, VA. Boulder Crest Retreat’s mission is to provide free, world class, short-duration, high-impact retreats for combat Veterans and their families. It the perfect place to integrate our dogs and bring them for visits! #pphAutumn and #pphElma had the privilege of meeting and bringing smiles to many Warriors, their families, and other members from the community. It was an exciting time as Boulder Crest was hosting their community wide Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter bunny was even there for a meet and greet… a great socialization opportunity for our dogs! Check out our Facebook page for an adorable video.

We look forward to visiting at Boulder Crest again in the next couple weeks with some more of our dogs. It was truly great to see how the community of Bluemont, Virginia came together for this event. We at Paws for Purple Hearts definitely understand and appreciate the power of strong community support.  That’s what makes it possible for us to provide our top-grade assistance dogs and Canine Assisted Warrior Therapy^TM to injured Warriors.  If you are interested in becoming involved at our Virginia site, we are always looking for volunteers and donors to help keep us running.

Continuing with the Easter theme, all of our dogs dressed up to join in the festivities! A big thank you to Brenda M. for hand making the bandanas that each of the pups is wearing. We hope everyone is enjoying the turn of seasons.  We are eager to hear from you!