Posted: December 17, 2010, 2 a.m. EST
Want to get fit with your dog and help disabled military veterans at the same time? Join the Wag & Walk 4 Life pledge, courtesy of the Greenies brand and partner Freedom Service Dogs, a Denver-based nonprofit that provides service dogs to military veterans and others with physical or psychological disabilities.
Dog owners who join the Wag & Walk 4 Life challenge pledge to walk a certain number of miles with their dog every week. As cumulative pledge goals are met (register here), the Greenies brand will provide monetary donations to fund a training camp to place up to 12 FSD service dogs with disabled veterans.
“When you take the Wag and Walk 4 Life pledge, you benefit not only you and your pet, but you also enable a disabled military veteran to get a canine helper,” says veterinarian and author Ernie Ward, D.V.M., a spokesperson for the program.
And since FSD rescues dogs to serve in the program, participants’ pledges also help homeless pets. “[These dogs] become the eyes, ears, arms and legs for disabled veterans,” Ward says.
To learn more about the pledge, visit www.facebook.com/greenies. To learn more about Freedom Service Dogs, visit www.freedomservicedogs.org