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Soldier's Best Friend receives $8,000 check from American Legion Auxiliary

Peoria Times - 4/14/2017

April 5, the American Legion Auxiliary unit in Gilbert, presented an $8,000 check to Peoria-based Soldier's Best Friend, bringing the total contributed by Arizona Auxiliary units to nearly $30,000. Soldier's Best Friend is an Arizona organization that pairs combat veterans with rescued companion dogs.

The $8,000 raised by the Gilbert Auxiliary unit is enough to pair two veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with a companion dog, at no cost to the veteran.

The Arizona American Legion Auxiliary undertook Soldier's Best Friend as a special focus under the leadership of its President, Jan Cushing. Cushing, a Surprise resident and member of the Glendale Auxiliary, chose Soldier's Best Friend because it fills a critical need in Arizona: helping veterans suffering from their combat experience. According the Veterans Administration, 22 veterans commit suicide in the U.S. every day. Women veterans are twice as likely as their civilian counterparts to commit suicide.

"While supporting this organization, I have seen first-hand how a trained dog can add calm and meaning to a veteran," Cushing said.

"Touching two lives at once," the organization trains and pairs only rescued dogs with veterans. Training for each dog and veteran team takes six to nine months. The organization has "graduated" 170 teams and has about 40 teams now in training. According to Jenna "Jay" Montoya, the organization's event and volunteer coordinator, there are plans to double that capacity. The Peoria facility already has a large open training space and yard, but does not yet have a kennel room, which is now in the planning stage.

"We are so lucky to have the support of local organizations," Montoya said. "We have an Eagle Scout making picnic tables for the yard area; Goodyear and Luke AFB canine officers assist in training; even a local airline donated seats to assist with travel training."

The Gilbert unit raised the $8,000 by conducting breakfast and dinner events since last July. They also sold merchandise to local residents.

"We are a small, but passionate Auxiliary unit, always looking for new members, organizations and businesses who want to support our patriotic mission," Unit President Linda Silvas said.

For more information, visit www.aladeptaz.org, or email ALAdeptAZ@gmail.com.