Proceeds to Support Service Dog for Veteran in Need

Kansas City – Since 2014, Three Dog Bakery and man’s best friend continue to do their part on Veterans Day by providing military veterans with service dogs. Each year Three Dog Bakery donates an amount equal to 15% of the total branded product sales it takes on Veterans Day through its bakeries and retail outlets to FISH – Friends in Service to Heroes to help them partner heroes in need with service dogs.

On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, Three Dog Bakery presented Paul Chapa, the founder of FISH, with a check for $13,000 from this year’s Veterans Day promotion. This brings Three Dog Bakery’s total donated to over $60,000. 

FISH is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping veterans and their families maintain their freedom and improve their quality of life. With the donations from the Three Dog Bakery Veterans’ Day promotion, FISH purchases service dogs to distribute to veterans in need, like Josh, who received his partner, Maggie, in 2016, and Taran, who received his partner, Jerry, this past November. 

“We’ve always been humbled by the sacrifices the men and women of our military make on behalf of American freedom, and we recognize the struggles they have returning home,” Aziz Giga, Three Dog Bakery, LLC CEO, says. “It’s so important for those of us who have benefitted from their sacrifices to do what we can to help. For many, there is no greater need than simple, daily assistance – the kind that can often be provided with a service dog.”

In fact, many returning military personnel and veterans face a myriad of challenges that can be aided with the use of a service dog, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, immobility, and inactivity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, about 3.4 million veterans had a service-connected disability.

Service members and veterans who are provided with highly specialized service dogs often find a new level of independence in their post-combat life. These dogs are specially trained to help perform a multitude of tasks that increase the autonomy of their human partners, including retrieving items from the refrigerator, pushing handicap buttons, turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, and so much more. What was once impossible becomes possible. People paired with service dogs show significant improvements psychologically, socially – even economically. 

Not surprisingly, service dogs are in high demand. The most common breeds are Labradors, golden retrievers, or a mix of the two. Service training begins when the dogs are young, and wait times for these highly-trained canines vary from six months to three years. Once placed, these dogs will work on average eight to 10 years before they retire. 

While some organizations charge the recipients for their assistance dog to recoup some of the animals’ training costs, FISH does not. The veterans receive their dogs free of charge. “Service and companion dogs have become a life-changing necessity for many returning veterans, but are cost-prohibitive for most,” says FISH Founder Paul Chapa. 

With 50 million dog owners in the U.S., Three Dog Bakery believes the necessary financial support to provide service dogs is an affirmation of the many benefits provided by living with a dog and a tribute to its loyal customers, the many four-legged friends who press their noses up against the bakery glass or who enjoy their treats at home. Three Dog Bakery will pioneer this annual tradition just as it did the canine bakery concept over 25 years ago. Popular among pups and their parents alike, its products feature a diverse array of premium, baked in the USA treats for those special times in a dog’s or family’s life. 

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About Three Dog Bakery, LLC

Founded in 1989, Three Dog Bakery is America’s original bakery for dogs. Headquartered in Kansas City, the company provides wholesome, oven-baked treats, pastries, and food for dogs in over 40 retail bakery franchises across the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong, as well as in many national independent pet and mass retailers. For more information about Three Dog Bakery, visit www.ThreeDog.com.