Community members will have the opportunity to pet some adorable puppies and improve a veteran’s quality of life on April 22, when the second annual Strolling for Service Dogs fundraiser takes place at the Garden of Reflection, 1950 Woodside Road in Yardley.
Proceeds benefit Strolling for Service Dogs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises, trains and donates service puppies to veterans suffering from PTSD, anxiety, traumatic brain injury and more.
This event is the brainchild of Pennsbury teen Nicky Christopher, with help from his mom Sara, whom readers of The Times might remember as the Birthday Lawn Bandit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicky decorated neighbors’ front lawns for birthdays and graduations. But in 2021, to celebrate his own 13th birthday, he had something else in mind.
That’s when the Christophers partnered with Alpha Bravo Canine and its puppy-raising director Tracy Ruepp, whose son Ben is a friend of Nicky’s, to host a fundraiser for the nonprofit. This inaugural event was a small gathering at the Lower Makefield Township pool parking lot. By 2022, thanks to a new, larger location and expansion of offerings, including a dog walk, raffles and giveaways, the initiative grew significantly. There were over 150 people in attendance and $18,000 was raised.
The goal for 2023 is to reach $25,000, which is the total cost to train one service puppy.
“We really want to hit it this year,” said Sara. “And I think it’s doable. The feedback from last year was fantastic. It was a family event, it wasn’t just walking or people running a marathon. It was for everybody.”
During Strolling for Service Dogs, which runs from 11 a.m. to about 3 p.m., guests can enjoy a dog walk, food, swag bags with an event day T-shirt, giveaways, kids’ competitions, games, face painting, raffle baskets and more. Vendors are set to include Abbey’s Bakery, Saint Rocco’s Treats, Backyard Buzz, Frank’s Fine Swine and Beef, Chop’t Creative Salad, Rebecca’s Garden and Mr. Big Stuffed Cookie Co.
Additionally, guests will have the chance to meet at least two service puppies who are almost done with training and ready to be paired with veterans in need.
According to Tracy, the puppies are trained for the first year of their lives. Trainers begin with basic obedience before moving on to lessons that will allow the puppy to truly aid their future veteran. This includes teaching them how to monitor breathing patterns to detect an anxiety attack, and deep-pressure therapy for when an attack is in full force.
“The dog can put their full body weight onto the veteran’s body,” said Tracy. “Clinical studies have shown that it lowers blood pressure, it lowers heart rate.”
Puppies also become skilled in retrieving objects, such as dropped keys, that a veteran might struggle to pick up due to mobility issues.
They typically begin training at 8 weeks old, and are placed with a veteran when they’re 16 to 18 months old. Veterans can apply to Alpha Bravo Canine directly, or be referred via a social worker or mental health professional.
Before anything becomes permanent, puppy and veteran are introduced to ensure they’re a good fit for each other. If they are, the puppy’s training is tweaked during the final days to include any needs that are specific to their new veteran.
“We really sit down with the veteran to figure out what their needs are, what their triggers are for their anxiety, and the things that they want to do but aren’t able to,” said Tracy. “Some want to do basic things. They want to be able to go to the grocery store, they want to be able to take their kids to the park.”
Alpha Bravo Canine also covers a year of food, toys and other necessary supplies. This allows the veteran to focus on bonding with the puppy and not have to worry about the financial aspect.
Currently, Alpha Bravo Canine rents out space from a private dog-training facility in Newtown. The ultimate goal, said Tracy, is to someday have a standalone, ADA-compatible facility. Any locals who think they can help with this initiative are urged to contact the nonprofit, or stop by Strolling for Service Dogs and chat with Tracy.
Moving forward, Strolling for Service Dogs will be the prime focus of the Christophers, with Nicky taking a step back from his lawn bandit duties.
“I think it’s great to do some good in the community,” he said.
Nicky has some help from his peers in making this event a reality. Student volunteers include Abigail and Henry Moser, Ben and Jake Ruepp, Kathleen Miles, Caitlyn and Taylor Lewis, Lucia Betman and Ryan Frost.
Those interested in joining the dog walk on April 22 can register at bit.ly/3nTlHGv. Cost to register is $25. Those who wish to assist but are unable to attend can donate at the link.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
