Every year, mom chooses a fundraiser for The Barkery. Over the years, we’ve raised over $10,000 for different charities. For 2017, we picked a group called Operation Delta Dog to rally around.
I’m not going to lie: I’m a crier. An ugly crier. My nose runs and my eyes water… it’s not pretty.
I had never heard of about Operation Delta Dog until mom showed me their website. I could barely read through my tears. The stories are so uplifting and inspiring!
Operation Delta Dog rescues four-legged guys and girls, just like me, and turns them into service dogs that they call Delta Dogs. This elite group of super heroes is trained to help another very special group of heroes: our veterans.
Many of my family members have been in the Armed Forces. Grampy Rick was in the Army during the Vietnam War. My great-grandfather, Ralph, was in the Navy during World War II. My great-grandfather, Frank, was in the Marines and fought in Korea. And then my cousin, Johnny, also served as a Marine.
People like Grampy Rick and great-grandfather Ralph put their lives on the line for our freedom. Operation Delta Dog understands their sacrifice and their struggles when they return home after serving. Did you know that some place called the Veteran’s Administration says that one out of five veterans suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? I didn’t know what those were, but mom explained to me that they are very sad, and these deserving heroes need lots of cheering up.
That’s why Operation Delta Dog’s mission is so neat! They help my furry buddies find homes with veterans who need their help and support. The Delta Dogs assist them with tasks or simply serve as cuddly, happy, bundles of love for their new dads and moms.
Four-legged people are so great at healing. I know I can always make mom feel better if she’s down. I bet the Delta Dogs are super-healers with all the training they receive.
Now you know why I cried so much reading their stories! My buddies get saved, just like my mom saved me, and they get forever homes with some of the greatest humans in the United States! It’s the best organization ever.
Thanks to all of The Barkery’s awesome Patriots fans, we raised $1,000 during our photo fundraiser for Operation Delta Dog. Mom handles all the money, but I know that $1,000 is a lot! We have the best customers here.
I hope you get a chance to check out all of the pictures from the fundraiser on our Facebook page. They were pretty awesome. My friends dressed up with their moms and dads… and even a cat came in to be in a photo! It was a Pats fan, so I was cool with it.
If you are in the mood for a good tear-jerker, you should also read about the Delta Dogs like Ringo, Maggie, and Roman. Ugh… here come the ugly tears again! I haven’t cried this much since mom made me watch Ghost.
Patrick Swayze played football in high school, you know. If not for a knee injury, I bet he’d have played with the Pats.
Thank you again for supporting Operation Delta Dog!
Go Pats!
Kiki