Robyn Lindsey, owner of BluEgg Photography, presented a $1,000 donation to local nonprofit, K9 Partners for Patriots, raised from her recent photography fundraiser. BluEgg Photography hosted the Patriotic Pup Contest, photographing the participants’ dogs for individual portraits and then online bracket style voting contest. Each participant donated to K9 Partners for Patriots to be in the competition for treats and gifts donated by local businesses.
The winner of the Patriotic Pup Contest was none other than Tohopka, AKA “Hopi”, one of the program’s graduates and service dog to ten-year Coast Guard Veteran, Sarah Thomas, who completed the K9 Partners’ training program in 2017. Sarah was the first owner of a Pit Bull breed to be trained by the program and continues to exemplify the true value of a service animal. Sarah often visits the facility because they are “like family” to her and Hopi, which can be easily seen with the excitement of the volunteers and staff as they walk through the door. Sarah supports likeminded organizations, including Animal Friends Society, to which she plans to donate most of her winnings for foster dogs that may one day be able to assist a veteran like herself.
K9 Partners for Patriots’ unique program empowers our military veterans in training their own service dogs, many of which are rescues. Founder, Mary Peter, has led the training of nearly 300 graduates like Sarah since she began her organization in 2013. She plans to continue her efforts as the organization grows, just receiving a large grant for a new training facility from the United States Department of Defense.
Although it receives some funding from the government, K9 Partners for Patriots highly relies on donations from local individuals and businesses like Robyn Lindsey from BluEgg Photography to provide these programs at no cost to our veterans. Robyn has plans to make her Patriotic Pup Contest an annual fundraiser in the coming summers to assist with the K9 Partners’ mission to eliminate veteran suicide.
Find out more about K9 Partners for Patriots at https://k9partnersforpatriots.com
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