Jimmy Thomas with a service dog. {David Volz}
Jimmy Thomas is on a mission. He wants to provide service dogs to South Florida military veterans who need them.
An Army veteran, Thomas has created an organization known as Doggie Paddle for Veterans, which raises funds and awareness to help veterans, many of whom have PTSD, go through the process of obtaining a service dog.
“Service dogs are good for veterans because they detect problems they are having and assist veterans with disabilities related to their military service,” said Thomas.
He is working to formalize a relationship with Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors (CPAWW) based at Florida Atlantic University. Thomas and CPAWW are working together to increase the number of veterans who can receive a service dog in Broward County.
Thomas said he will rescue dogs, usually Labradors or Golden Retrievers, that are not aggressive enough for police work but have become effective service dogs.
He is working closely with Colleen Mountford, a member of Doggie Paddle for Veterans and the Rotary Club of Coral Springs. “We are going to continue to raise awareness and make veterans aware that effective service dogs are there for them,” said Mountford.
During a recent Rotary Club of Coral Springs community social, Thomas met with community leaders and members of the Coral Springs Veterans Coalition. The goal was to establish working relationships with various veterans’ organizations to identify veterans needing dogs.
“I believe that some positive relationships were established, and the next steps are to formalize relations,” said Sal Golfo, a Rotary member.
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