THREE DOG BAKERY HONORS RETURNING VETERANS WITH ANNUAL VETERANS’ DAY PROMOTION

Proceeds to Support Service Dog for Veteran in Need

Sunday, November 11 marks a day our nation honors its military servicemen and women. It’s also a day Three Dog Bakery pays tribute to returning U.S. veterans with a special promotion aimed at raising money for service dogs.

On Veterans’ Day, 2018, Three Dog Bakery Corporate will donate an amount equal to 15 percent of our total branded product sales we take in on Veterans’ Day through our bakeries and retail outlets to FISH – Friends in Service to Heroes.

FISH is a non-profit organization that focuses on helping veterans of every age and their families maintain their freedom and improve their quality of life. With the donations from the Three Dog Bakery Veterans’ Day promotion, FISH will purchase service dogs to distribute to veterans in need.

Three Dog Bakery, Chairman Aziz Giga, says the health and well-being of our returning servicemen and women is a subject that is close to his heart. “We are always humbled by the sacrifices our service men and women make on behalf of American freedom, and we recognize the struggles they have returning home,” Giga says. “It’s 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.”

Three Dog Bakery is also encouraging its suppliers and service providers to participate by donating to FISH as well.

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 are provided with highly specialized service dogs that help them find a new level of independence in their post-combat life. These service 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. Wait times for these highly trained canines vary from six months to three years. Training begins when the dogs are young. The most common breeds are Labradors, golden retrievers or a mix of the two. Some organizations charge the recipient for their assistance dog to recoup some of the cost of training the animals. These highly trained canines work on average eight to 10 years before they retire.

“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 canines and their owners alike, its products feature a diverse array of premium, made in the USA treats and food for those special times in a dog’s or family’s life.