Pet resources for military & veteran families
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Animal rescue - Afghanistan
Pet adoption
Pet foster care for active duty military and/or veterans
Pet needs assistance (homeless veterans)
Transportation costs assistance
Veterinary services
Afghan Stray Animal League
The Afghan Stray Animal League is a private non-profit organization in the U.S. that operates and supports a shelter and low-cost veterinary clinic for homeless, abandoned, sick or injured small animals in Afghanistan. The shelter is located in a refurbished house in Kabul, the Afghan capital, which has a large population of neglected street dogs and cats as well as thousands of backyard animals such as goats and donkeys whose owners cannot afford treatment for them.
Guardians of Rescue - Operation Support our Troops
NO BUDDY LEFT BEHIND - Imagine spending countless hours and bonding with an animal while in another country, only to have to leave your best friend behind when your tour is done. Many of our service men and women serving in combat zones, rescue animals from neglectful and often abusive situations and these animals quickly become family. We understand the positive impact the animals have on the soldiers and the soldiers on the animals, and are happy to assist service men and women with bringing their adopted pet, rescued during their deployment to the US. We are involved in each process, fine tuning all the logistics of getting a pet safely home from the area where the service men and women are deployed, and making sure the animal adapts to life in America by providing basic training when needed.
CONTRACT WORKING DOGS - We recognize the relationship born between contract military dogs and soldiers who work with or befriend them during long stretches of deployment. Contract Working Dogs (CWD) are different from their Military Working Dogs (MWD) counterparts, in CWD’s do not have a “unit” to call home. Units will rotate in and and rotate out and the CWD will meet his or her new unit and handler in the locations, whereas, MWD’s rotate with their assigned handler, and every MWD is brought back to the U.S. bases from which they deployed with their handlers. CWD’s futures are much less predictable, with injured dogs and those at retirement age, most often euthanized without being afforded an opportunity to be adopted into families. Many military personnel want to give homes to these amazing dogs and that is where we step in and make their hope become reality.
Nowzad (UK)
Our mission is to relieve the suffering of animals in Afghanistan; including companion animals, working equines, stray and abandoned dogs and cats and all other animals in need of care and attention, and to provide and maintain rescue, rehabilitation and education facilities for the care and treatment of such animals with no voice but ours'.
Paws of War - War Torn Pups and Cats
War Torn Pups provides financial support to reunite military personnel with the stray animals they found and bonded with while at war or in war zones - monies donated to this program helps with costs that includes vaccines, medical treatment, rescue liaison, transportation and more. While the financial investment is high, the relief, comfort and joy this program provides our soldiers is immeasurable.
Puppy Rescue Mission
Helping Soldiers bring their battle buddies home - The primary mission of Puppy Rescue Mission is to fundraise and assist various organizations which help soldiers bring their furry friends home from war. While PRM's primary mission is to assist soldiers and their furry friends, PRM will also, from time to time, assist an organization in rehoming a stray animal.
SPCA International - Operation Baghdad Pups
http://spcai.org/get-involved/military-support/obp-worldwide/
Members of the U.S. military stationed on bases all over the world befriend local animals during deployments that become their companions. But they are often forced to leave them behind when their deployments are over. Our Operation Baghdad Pups program was founded in 2008 to rescue and reunite these patriot pets with our service members in the U.S. To date, we have rescued over 550 animals from multiple countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Our program has expanded to become “OBP: Worldwide” and now we rescue animals anywhere in the world for members of all military branches.
Until we see peace in every corner of the world, OBP Worldwide will continue to serve wherever it is needed – just like the heroes of our U.S. Armed Forces. We consider every request, regardless of the location, a chance for SPCA International to give back to our troops.
Do you know a U.S. military serviceman or woman serving oversees that has a special relationship with a dog or cat they befriended there? Contact us for help bringing that patriot pet to safety in the U.S. where they can be reunited again.
Pet adoption
Animals for Armed Forces Foundation (Fullerton, CA)
Animals for Armed Forces ® Foundation provides Free Pet Adoption events that help our shelter animals find loving homes with the Heroes of our Armed Forces.
Helping PAWS Pet Rescue, Inc. (NW Wisconsin)
Our small pet rescue in NW Wisconsin has a "Free Pets for Vets" program. Some restrictions apply. Since we mostly have cats and kittens, they are the most commonly adopted. When we have dogs, most are typically also available through this program, although there might be rare occasions when they would not be available at no cost. Horses and mini horses are typically NOT available thru this program.
Pets for Patriots
Pets for Patriots is a nationally-operating charity saving lives through companion pet adoption for service and veteran members of the United States military. Through our network of adoption partners, we pair at-risk shelter dogs and cats with veterans in need of a loving, therapeutic companion pet.
To ensure these bonds are healthy and enduring, Pets for Patriots reduces the overall costs of pet ownership for military personnel through access to ongoing discounted veterinary care, contributions towards the purchase of pet food and other essentials and sponsor-provided pet discounts. Applicants are welcome from any armed forces and at any stage of their careers. Learn more at www.petsforpatriots.org and let us help you find your new best friend.
Superior Pets for Patriotic Vets
Superior Pets for Patriotic Vets is an initiative sponsored by Superior Plumbing, which pairs shelter animals from Cobb County Animal Control with veterans, free of charge, in an attempt to alleviate the emotional scars that plague our nation's finest, while securing a forever home for shelter dogs and cats.
Vets Adopt Pets (Marietta, GA)
Vets Adopt Pets is a lively upbeat national program that "Thanks Veterans for their service to us all" with a furry little friend from the pet shelter. The on going love and devotion a pet gives to each veteran is the best way ever to thank the men and women who fought for our freedom.
We are a community of contributors, shelters and rescues that join together to pay the adoption fee as our way of saying "thank you" to veterans, active duty and their families.
Our role is to pull together the many organizations, information and resources that exist to enable military active duty and veterans to enjoy a companion dog or cat from a pet shelter, to obtain service dog information-referrals, to honor our military working dogs, contract working dogs and their handlers.
American Humane - Fostering military pets
Whether our military personnel have their deployments extended, are redeployed or are newly deployed, they face a number of difficult decisions regarding home and family. Frequently, one of those dilemmas is what to do with companion animals considered to be family. How can they ensure that their pets will be taken care of while they are away, and that they can be reunited with their pets when they return?...
Dogs on Deployment
Military members nation-wide confront a multitude of problems during their career. The last problem they want to worry about is what to do with their beloved family pet when it's time for them to deploy. Asking themselves, "What should I do with my dog while I'm on deployment," many service members have limited, to no options for their pets when they have to go overseas. Many owners have to relinquish their pets to shelters when they have nowhere else to go. Dogs On Deployment is a licensed non-profit which aims at becoming a central web-based database for service members to search for individuals or families who are willing to welcome a Dog On Deployment into their home for the length of their owner's deployment.
Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet
Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet formed after learning that military service members across the country had pets that needed a caring, loving, and safe home to care for them during the pet owner's deployment to fight the global war on terrorism (combat or peace keeping missions), but had been unable to find someone to care for them. This left the military pet owners with only one option, which was to relinquish their beloved pets and pet ownership rights to a humane society, animal shelter, or animal rescue group never to see their pets again, know if they were placed in a new home, or ended up being euthanized.
Humane Society - Foster care tips
It is very important to keep loved ones close during uncertain times—including the four-legged members of our families. The Humane Society of the United States urges military families to work hard to keep pets in the family and resist relinquishing these beloved pets to shelters.
If you are in the military, it's important to make prior arrangements for your pets in case you are deployed. If at all possible, arrange for family or friends to care for your pet. When leaving your pet with family or friends, it's a good idea to create a foster care agreement. Having a written agreement will help protect your pet and provide you with the security of knowing your chosen caretaker has the legal right to care for your pet in your absence.
PACT for Animals (Nationwide)
PACT for Animals is a national non-profit that offers peace of mind to military families and hospital patients by identifying long-term, in-home foster care for their companion animal pets until they can be safely reunited with their owners. This is especially needed for our military Soldiers, when they are on deployment, and the medical patients that require extensive hospital stay and recovery time.
In our ten years of operating, we have worked in 49 states, and saved nearly 2,000 pets from unnecessary abandonment (when their owners could not find adequate long-term foster care).
Pets of the Homeless
Pets of the Homeless is the only national animal organization focused completely on feeding and providing emergency veterinary care to pets of the homeless.
Valley Dogs Rescue - Vets and Their Pets (Gilbert, AZ)
Vets and Their Pets is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans in-need via foster, food, and medical care for their pets.
Vets and Their Pets provides temporary housing, veterinary care and food for animals of veterans in need. We will spay/neuter and provide basic shots for a veteran's animal. Our primary focus is homeless veterans or veterans in transitional housing needing assistance. The core focus is to ensure that a veteran will seek medical care for their needs while we provide care for their animals. Additionally, we will support veterans that are in transitional housing by providing a home for their animal until they obtain permanent housing that will allow the animal to live with them.
Transportation costs assistance
American Airlines
American Airlines is pleased to offer all active members of any U.S. military force and their dependents a discount of 50% off of our published rates for transporting their pets domestically and internationally. Eligibility guidelines are listed below:
- Anyone is welcome to transport a live animal with American Airlines Cargo. However, some countries may require a broker and/or freight forwarder for transport. For general freight, due to TSA security regulations, you need to be a Known Shipper.
- Discount is available for personal shipments only. Breeder shipments are not eligible for this discount.
Operation Roger
Operation Roger is a non-profit organization comprised of regional and long-haul truckers who volunteer their time to transport pets in need
Pilots N Paws
Pilots N Paws® is a non-profit organization. Our site is intended to be a meeting place for volunteers engaged in the valuable services of rescuing, sheltering and adopting animals, and volunteer pilots and plane owners willing to assist with animal transportation. The intent of Pilots N Paws is to provide an environment in which volunteers can come together and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter, and all other related activities.
SPCA International - Operation Military Pets
When military families are ordered to a new base in the U.S. or around the world, moving bills pile up. The military pays for many moving costs, but they don’t help our military families relocate the family pet. The cost for pet transportation can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. All over the United States shelters near military bases report high surrender rates when military families can’t afford to relocate their dog or cat. Military families are being torn apart.
Our mission is to keep military families together by providing financial assistance for pet relocation costs. All branches of the military can qualify for grants. Whether being relocated within the United States or anywhere in the world, SPCA International’s Operation Military Pets is here to keep pets with the ones they love.
Veterinary services
Paws of War - Vets2Vets Mobile Animal Clinic (Long Island, NY)
Vets2Vets was born when Paws of War saw the crucial need for veterinary care for the pets of veterans and first responders living with disabilities. This newly-renovated vehicle has been customized to fit the needs of this specialized program, and will be staffed by veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and assistants.
Paws of War organizes "Clinic Days" for Vets2Vets, where the mobile clinic will be available at specific locations throughout Long Island. Additionally, Vets2Vets hopes to bring the clinic to veterans and first responders who are homebound, or who may have difficulty transporting several animals to the clinic at once.
Veterinary Treatment Facilities
In accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) regulations, animals owned by personnel authorized DoD medical care may receive veterinary medical care through an Army Veterinary Treatment Facility. The level of veterinary medical care available through each facility is dependent upon the level of professional and civilian staffing.
Copyright 2008 - 2022 Benita Koeman, Operation We Are Here. All rights reserved.
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