How Soldiers & Pit Bulls Are Saving Each Other's Lives

When veterans come back home after seeing combat, the adjustment is often overwhelming. How can one be expected to simply resume normal life after witnessing the horrors of war? And while our nations heroes are most often treated with great reverence, there are just some facets of civilian life that are insurmountable for someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At least, they would be without a steady stream of

companionship and affection

.

Pit bulls

make up a whopping third of all the dogs found in shelters nationwide - and as much as 65% of the dogs in city shelters. What’s more, as many as 75% of shelters opt to euthanize pit bulls immediately, without ever being given a chance for adoption. Studies average that only 1 in 600 pit bulls actually find their forever home.So on the one hand, we have hundreds of young men and women coming home to a country that is unable to comprehend the kind of attention they need. On the other hand we have millions of loving and caring dogs being euthanized every year because of

unsubstantiated breed prejudices. Unrelated problems? Perhaps. However, they do have one thing in common:A solution.

Pits for Patriots: A Ray of Hope

Enter

Pits for Patriots

, a non-for-profit organization dedicated to pairing veterans and first-responders with pit bulls in need of a loving home. They take dogs that would otherwise likely end up on death row, train them as service dogs, and place them with people suffering from war-related traumas, both physical and otherwise.The dogs that come out of the Pits for Patriots program are

fully licensed service dogs, meaning they are allowed to accompany their human anywhere. They are trained to be hypersensitive to their handler’s needs, and are capable of assisting in minor chores such as opening and closing doors, pushing buttons, flipping switches, carrying baggage, and even helping with mobility.Not only does Pits for Patriots do good directly, but also indirectly by helping to dispel the harmful myths

that surround pit bulls. If more people saw pit bulls in service dog vests, perhaps we could finally put an end to their violent stigma and see them for the smart, loving, loyal dogs they truly are.To learn more about this amazing organization, visit

their website

. And to help them in their noble cause, please

donate

.

If you have a pet that you love and want to keep them around for a while, remember to take good care of them. PetPlus makes it easy to get your pet everything they could need, and at a price you are going to love.