Industry Marketing supports RDRS

Rescue Dogs Rescue Soldiers is so excited and grateful for this fundraising opportunity.  We rely on donations to help with the training and care of our dogs.  The money raised from this event will go directly to the training and certification of our teams.  We provide dogs to our veterans at no cost to them, and we provide lifetime veterinary care too. There is a great need for trained dogs. With your kind help, we can get more teams up and running.

Meet one of our veteran/dog teams.

Hawkins is named in honor of Sgt. Patrick Hawkins, who died in combat in Afghanistan in 2013. Hawkins is a Shepherd/Pit mix who was found starving on the streets of Staten Island. He was sent to us where he received veterinary care, including treatment for a bad skin condition that caused bare patches in his fur. With time and love, Hawkins slowly recovered. He gained weight, his coat grew back in and became shiny and his skin started to heal.

Army veteran Barry served from 2005-2012, with tours of duty in South Korea and Afghanistan. As an M1A2 tank driver at Ft. Carson, his tank crew shot Top Tank of the Battalion. While serving overseas, Barry was a mine detector for every patrol his squad conducted. 

Barry's service left him with PTSD symptoms, including anxiety in public settings, night tremors and insomnia.

When Barry came to RDRS and met Hawkins, it was a match made in heaven. Hawkins immediately made a connection with Barry.

Hawkins has been taught several commands unique to service dogs. Harkins is like a radar when Barry is out in public -- he alerts Barry to people approaching and will place himself between Barry and whoever is approaching. Hawkins helps calm Barry at home and assists if Barry has issues sleeping.

Barry and Hawkins have been working together for some time, and have formed a very special connection.

RDRS trains rescued dogs like Hawkins to improve the quality of life for veterans like Barry.  We rescue dogs to rescue soldiers, and we are grateful for your support.