Laura Douglas Paws For Purple Hearts 2 April 2018

Paws for Purple Hearts

 

The Laura Douglas, Client Services Manager, and her service dog are visiting our group on 4/2/2018 and come from the organization's office located in Rohnert Park, CA.


Founded and led by the famous canine researcher and inventor of the service dog concept, Dr. Bonnie Bergin, Bergin University is the first and only university in the world that focuses on training dogs and learning about dogs. Through its unique mission to advance human-canine studies, it produces the world's best dog trainers and helps us breed the highest quality service dogs in the world. Although Paws for Purple Hearts is now separate from Bergin University, it's a cause that is near and dear to Dr. Bergin. Today, she still actively engaged with Paws for Purple Hearts as board member.


Dr. Bonita (Bonnie) Bergin invented the concept of the Service Dog to assist people with mobility limitations in 1975. At that time, she founded Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), the first nonprofit to train and place Service Dogs.


After leaving CCI In 1991, Dr. Bergin founded the Assistance Dog Institute, which was formally designated a university in early 2004. Today, growing Bergin University of Canine Studies is the only university dedicated to teaching service dog trainers in the world.


The distinguished Dr. Bergin has been honored with numerous awards including the prestigious Presidential Points of Light Award; Oprah Winfrey's "Use Your Life Award"; "What Matters" HBO TV; Council on Disability Rights Individual Achievement Award; and Alumni of the Year Sonoma State University


"The whole point of Paws for Purple Hearts is that it builds on the time-honored tradition of soldiers giving a hand to other soldiers, just like we did on the battlefield together." - Steve Moore, Sergeant, U.S. Army (Ret.)

 

Our Long History
PPH PROGRAMS MOVE FROM PILOT TO PERMANENT
"Paws for Purple Hearts" is the first program of its kind to offer Canine-Assisted Warrior TherapyTM, also known as Canine Assisted Therapeutic Intervention, to Veterans and active-duty military personnel.


60 Dogs We've Deployed
5267 Therapy Session Participation (session slots filled) *Many Warriors attend multiple sessions*
3527 Lives we've directly improved