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paws4vets Veterans Day 5K

Sun November 7, 2021 Wilmington, NC 28401 US Directions

paws4vets Veterans Day 5K

paws4people foundation was founded by Kyria Henry Whisenhunt in 1999, when she was just 12 years old, with the purpose of using dogs as a means of helping people.

This nonprofit’s mission is educating and empowering people to utilize Assistance Dogs to transform their lives.

We have over 1,200 highly trained Assistance Dogs with one or more certifications providing support in areas such as psychiatric service, mobility, and crisis response, just to name a few. Together, these dogs have made more than 1,000,000 contacts.

Presently, we specialize in training customized Assistance Dogs for two general groups: children and adolescents with physical, neurological, psychiatric, and/or emotional disabilities; and Veterans and Service Members with Chronic/Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), Military Sexual Trauma, and Moral Injury.

Over the last 22 years, our organization has placed Dogs in 22 states, with nationwide placement consideration.

Although most people today are aware of the benefits of service dogs for the blind or people with mobility impairments, there are many newer and unique applications using Assistance Dogs with which people are still unfamiliar – such as a Physical and/or Neurological Assistance Dog.

At paws4people foundation, our philosophy is that children and adolescents with disabilities can and should be considered clients and be taught how to utilize an Assistance Dog to mitigate the effects of their disability. In these instances, proper training and employment of an Assistance Dog may allow a child to independently perform tasks that are standard for his or her peers. Over time, this negates the necessity of over-dependence on adults and aids, thus allowing the child to grow and mature more independently. We believe this is the very essence of independence, and one of the most important roles of an Assistance Dog.

In addition to the paws4people program, our paws4vets program specializes in placing Psychiatric Medical Alert Assistance Dogs with Veterans and Service Members who are living with PTSD, TBI, and/or MST.

Many recipients have “invisible disabilities” so that their use of an Assistance Dog and access to public venues is questioned more readily than a handler whose disability is visible. Therefore, we feel it is important for people to recognize and understand that these dogs, when employed correctly and within the confines of the law, are providing invaluable services to their users by assisting them in their recovery and return to their previous lifestyles. This is yet another example of priceless, well-deserved independence."

Top Donors

$1,625 Raised By 78 Donors

$100 on behalf of Beth, Jim & Katie Fortunato
$100 on behalf of Eddie Hardy
$100 on behalf of Jennifer Downey
$100 on behalf of Mickey Robertson
$100 from Anonymous
$100 on behalf of Sara Courtney Russ
$50 on behalf of Benjamin Plyler
$50 on behalf of Bob & Judy Sharkey
$50 on behalf of cindy maxwell
$50 on behalf of Grace Park
$50 on behalf of W.F. Hamlin, CWO-3, USN, Ret.
$25 on behalf of Bev Hammond and David Truglio
$25 on behalf of Hailey Eason
$25 on behalf of Jessica Bradley
$25 on behalf of Karen Cipperley
$25 on behalf of Linda Sharkey
$25 on behalf of Lindsey Sweetland
$25 on behalf of Lori Lanier
$25 on behalf of Marty Younts
$25 on behalf of Mona Moon
$25 from Anonymous
$25 on behalf of Peter Herrmann
$25 on behalf of SARAH PROCTOR
$25 on behalf of Sarah Proctor and Edie
$25 on behalf of Sharon Fay
$25 from Anonymous
$25 on behalf of Stephen Harney
$15 on behalf of Amanda Nester
$15 on behalf of Yvonne Moody
$10 on behalf of BRAXTON Lewis
$10 on behalf of Brett Porter
$10 on behalf of Cate Woessner
$10 on behalf of Catherine Atsumi
$10 on behalf of Erica Mejia
$10 on behalf of Jessica Hartmann
$10 on behalf of Kelly Kinstrey
$10 on behalf of Laura Young
$10 on behalf of Leah Behrends
$10 on behalf of MATTHEW BRADLEY
$10 on behalf of Matthew Paisie
$10 on behalf of Melissa Barton
$10 on behalf of noah woods
$10 on behalf of Pamela Frandano
$10 on behalf of Peggy Lacey
$10 on behalf of Sandy Richardson
$10 on behalf of Sue-Ann Rush
$10 on behalf of Travis Voorhees
$10 on behalf of Vikki Childress
$10 on behalf of William Tomayko
$5 on behalf of Angelia Brown
$5 on behalf of Antonio Lopez
$5 on behalf of Ashley Martin
$5 on behalf of Brittany Marki
$5 on behalf of Brittany Minor
$5 on behalf of Corrie Evans
$5 on behalf of Donna Shiro
$5 on behalf of Donna Uguccioni
$5 on behalf of Evangelyn Buckland
$5 on behalf of Hayley Baxley
$5 on behalf of Janet Stiegler
$5 on behalf of Jenny Page
$5 on behalf of Kathryn Taylor
$5 on behalf of Kevin Connington
$5 on behalf of Kim Olinger
$5 on behalf of Laura MacDonald
$5 on behalf of Lindsey McDermott
$5 on behalf of Liz Pray
$5 on behalf of Lora Sharkey
$5 on behalf of Melissa Denman
$5 on behalf of Miranda James
$5 on behalf of Nancy Tang
$5 on behalf of Robert Beck
$5 from Anonymous
$5 on behalf of Sara Courtney Russ
$5 on behalf of Sharon Baxley
$5 from Anonymous
$5 on behalf of Susan Gibson
$5 on behalf of Valerie Myette

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