By Kathie Rowell

Puppy cuddles and kisses are a welcome benefit of a statewide service project for the Florida Council of Chapters.

In addition to offering financial support to Dogs Inc, a nonprofit that trains service dogs, MOAA members volunteer at its Bradenton campus, help identify veterans and Gold Star families who could benefit from a service dog, and serve as “puppy raisers” or “puppy parent hosts,” taking dogs into their own homes. The council has received two Community Outreach Grants to from The MOAA Foundation to support the project.

Rear Adm. Richard Buchanan, USN (Ret), and his wife, Amy, who have served as both puppy raisers and puppy parent hosts, felt drawn to participate after meeting a former Air Force officer with PTSD who had benefited from a service dog.

“We heard how this service dog changed his life so dramatically and offered him the opportunity to avoid the suicidal ideations that he had been experiencing,” Buchanan said. “Seeing that was very important to us, and we wanted to participate in that particular process.”

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The Buchanans started as dog sitters, then took a puppy parent into their home, eventually adopting him when he was retired. After the dog’s death, the Buchanans partnered with their neighbors to co-raise a puppy before sending the young dog to “college” to train as a guide dog.

Letting him go was difficult, Amy Buchanan said, “but when you do it, you know you're going into it to help somebody else have a better life, that this dog is going to go out and give somebody the freedom and the liberty that they might not have had before or give them the comfort and care that will allow them to go out into the world and enjoy it.”

Now, they are hosting another puppy parent.

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Col. Steve Bond, USA (Ret), president of the Florida Council of Chapters, said the idea behind the partnership is simple.

“It's part of our philanthropy and community service mission to help all veterans in any way we can,” he said.

Dogs Inc Director of Mission Awareness Sean Brown, a U.S. Army sergeant who was medically retired and has a service dog, said the nonprofit is grateful for the support of military organizations. 

“It allows us to continue to place incredible dogs like the ones that I have received at no cost to every single recipient,” Brown said. “It’s all about taking care of troops. That's what we do when we get out of the military, and MOAA's helping us accomplish that.”

How to Help

Dogs Inc puppy raisers can live anywhere in the U.S. Puppy parent host applications are not currently being accepted, but you can learn more about being a puppy raiser or donate to the cause. 

Kathie Rowell is a writer in Louisiana.