Posted: May 29, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
When Danny Scheurer retires from the U.S. Army, the military will provide him with a place where injured war veterans can seek treatment. He wants the same services to be made available to the dogs who serve alongside military personnel.
Scheurer co-founded Save-A-Vet with that goal in mind. Many military and police dogs are unable to be placed for adoption into homes because of their special training.
After returning home to Chicago from an 18-month tour in Iraq, Scheurer started on his next mission to open a safe haven for these military dogs to “live out the remainder of their days in peace.”
The kennels will serve as a home for hundreds of bomb-sniffing canines once they retire. Scheurer said it’s a way for soldiers to give thanks to their canine friends who protected them while they went about their everyday duties.
“There is no home for them right now,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, they’re soldiers that have to be taken care of, too.”
The nonprofit Save-A-Vet is raising money to build and maintain a proper facility with dog kennels for military and police dogs. Scheurer plans to open a home for these injured or retired military dogs on several acres in Nebraska.
An upcoming benefit motorcycle ride fundraiser is planned for July 13 in Chicago.