Non-profit more motivated than ever to promote importance of service dogs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)— A Colorado Springs-based non-profit is helping veterans while honoring an El Paso County K-9 deputy that was killed in the line of duty.
Victory Service Dogs helps veterans like Steven Salyer, who served our country for more than 13 years. He tells us that coming back to normal life was a tough transition.
"I'm done with having to take so many pills that are just not solving the problem," he said.
Salyer says he needed a new way to cope, so his psychiatrist made a different suggestion: a service dog.
That's when Victory Service Dogs stepped in to help. The organization provides free service dog training for local disabled veterans and first responders. Soon, Aurora the Alaskan Malamute made her way into Salyer’s life. He says their bond is life-changing.
“She helps support like right now, my knee," Salyer says. "I'm leaning up against her pretty extensively. If I drop something, I've got a bad back as well. If I drop something, she retrieves it for me. But her biggest thing is she responds to my PTSD, my anxiety, and my anger, and she helps with that.”
That life-changing training comes at a cost. Victory Service Dogs relies on donations and fundraising events to stay in business.
“We're just getting into the grant field, but most of our money comes from local people in the community, local businesses, and from events like the ones that we're getting ready to put on,” said Lisbeth Keen, Marketing Director for Victory Service Dogs.
Keen added that money raised from fundraiser events goes directly toward training programs for kids and veterans in need of support.
However, the recent death of El Paso County K-9 Deputy Jinx has the organization working harder than ever to keep morale high.
“Not only did Jinks provide a service for the police department, but he also belonged to a handler," Keen said. "And we see every day the change that a working dog, a service dog can provide to their person. And if that is lost, it is a devastating, devastating thing.”
