In Depth: Helping Dogs

Hal is joined by Ryan Boyd, co-founder of Free Animal Doctor. Boyd and rescue pup Princess show Hal how Princess is recovering after being treated for serious eye injuries and partial paralysis.

Hal and Boyd discuss how Free Animal Doctor’s crowdfunding assistance has helped nearly a thousand animals with health issues.  

Boyd is now setting up a fund to help striking WGA union members who may have pets who need veterinary care. Boyd says they are working on establishing a permanent animal clinic.  

For more information or to contribute, visit freeanimaldoctor.org.

In our second segment, the co-founder of Working Dogs for Warriors talks to Hal about the program that brings rescue dogs and veterans together for their mutual benefit. Many veterans suffering from PTSD can find themselves emotionally supported by these dogs. During their training, they learn how to calm and comfort people who are dealing with strong emotions.

In segment three, we bring in firefighter Victor Lopez with the Ontario Fire Department and his K-9 Mac.  Lopez talks about the COAST unit at the fire department which stands for Community Outreach and Support Team.  

He explains how the K-9s  in the support team are trained to offer comfort to people in distress who firefighters may see on emergency calls.  

The dogs also provide support to first responders who can have issues with PTSD as well.  

To learn more about Working Dogs for Warriors, visit workingdogsforwarriors.com