Illinois is now joining a program that has been successful in Indiana, bringing veterans and shelter pets together to make them both stronger.<\/p>\n
About a year ago, Army Veteran Scott Anderson met Ruby the dog for the first time, and it was a bond no one could ever question.<\/p>\n
“She walked over to me, took one sniff, laid down next to me and it was done,” Anderson said. “Her and I knew that fast.”<\/p>\n
Anderson served 23 years in the Army and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times. For him and many veterans, returning to civilian life often proves to be a challenge.<\/p>\n
“You find yourself for a little while avoiding trash bags on the side of the road, or little things,” he said. “When you’ve spent 57 months in a combat zone, you have some emotions about that and it’s okay to talk about that.”<\/p>\n
In addition to his regular therapy, Anderson found a new path to walk with the Pets Healing Vets Program, which has so far matched 40 veterans in Indiana with a shelter pet looking for their own mission to help heal.<\/p>\n
This year, Illinois added itself to the list of states requiring animal shelters to waive adoption fees for military veterans, and groups like Pets Healing Vets – which is run out of the Hamilton County, Indiana Humane Society – help find the right pairing, and in some cases, the costs associated with owning a pet.<\/p>\n
Anderson’s experience is just one example of the success of the program. By pairing veterans with shelter pets, the program not only helps the animals find a new home but also provides a sense of purpose and companionship for the veterans.<\/p>\n
The Pets Healing Vets Program is a shining example of how animals can make a difference in the lives of our nation’s heroes. By providing a sense of comfort, companionship, and purpose, the program helps veterans heal and find a new lease on life.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the Pets Healing Vets Program?<\/strong> Q: How does the program work?<\/strong> Q: Is the program only available in Illinois?<\/strong> Q: How can I get involved with the program?<\/strong> Program Pairs Veterans with Shelter Pets The Power of Pairing Illinois is now joining a program that has been successful in Indiana, bringing veterans and shelter pets together to make them both stronger. A Bond Like No Other About a year ago, Army Veteran Scott Anderson met Ruby the dog for the first time, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5394","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wgntv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2024\/11\/snapshot-15.jpg?w=900&w=900&resize=900,505&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5394"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5396,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5394\/revisions\/5396"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nA: The Pets Healing Vets Program is a program that pairs veterans with shelter pets to help them heal and find a new sense of purpose.<\/p>\n
\nA: The program works by matching veterans with shelter pets based on their needs and preferences. The program also provides support and resources to help veterans care for their new pets.<\/p>\n
\nA: No, the program is available in Indiana and Illinois, with plans to expand to other states in the future.<\/p>\n
\nA: You can get involved with the program by volunteering with the Hamilton County, Indiana Humane Society or other animal shelters in the area. You can also make a donation to support the program’s efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"