Dear Friends,
Today 61 million people in the United States are living with disabilities and that number grows daily. In addition to the many disabilities people suffer from, they are also more likely to face serious social isolation, anxiety and depression which leads to a higher risk of death. All these issues take a serious toll on families, businesses, and our communities.
Over the past two years, suicides and mental health issues have been growing at an all-time high. Veterans die by suicide at an alarming rate of up to 22 per day. However, a recent article in the Military Times says that number is closer to 44 a day. It is reasonable to assume that the suicide rates of first responders and civilians parallel these heartbreaking statistics.
The need for medical service dogs to improve, and even save the lives of our nation’s veterans, first responders and others is critical. We at Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs are committed to providing these highly skilled service dogs, at no cost, to those who so desperately need them. One of the top three topics that are most important to people with disabilities all over the country is funding programs that support people with disabilities.
WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE…
The hundreds of individually trained service dogs that Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs has placed with recipients nationwide are making a profound and undeniable impact. Statistics show that when a recipient is paired with a service dog from Guardian Angels, the suicide rate drops to “ZERO”.
HOW WE QUANTIFY OUR SUCCESS…
- We have become one of the largest service dog providers in the US
- We created a Medical Savings Plan that assists in paying for all medical needs of our working dogs.
- We wrote a college accredited/VA approved curriculum to teach apprentices how to do this valuable work
- We have received numerous awards for the work we do in the mental health field and suicide prevention
- We have created programs resulting in a lifetime of communication, follow up, support and care of our teams.
- We have our own on-site non-profit veterinary hospital to service all the needs of our dogs in training, as well as our working teams.
- We maintain a Platinum rating from GuideStar and top ratings from Charity Navigator
- We trained and paired the #1 Service Dog in the US which became the first service dog to also be named the Top American Dog Hero
- We have a ZERO suicide rate
HOW YOU CAN HELP…
Our recipients face many challenges. The vast majority of those in need could never afford one of these highly skilled service dogs, or the additional lifetime of support and services that we provide – a cost of nearly $40,000. We not only donate all our dogs, but we also pay the travel expenses for recipients to come from all over the United States to stay with us nearly two weeks while being paired with their new life-changing, lifesaving service dogs.
We know the need is greater than ever, with numerous individuals currently on the ever-growing waiting list to be paired with a service dog that is trained to mitigate the challenges of their disability.
Today I am asking for your support. Your contribution will literally save lives and have a direct and positive impact on veterans, first responders and others, suffering from PTSD, TBI’s, seizures, diabetes, and/or mobility challenges. Your gift is far reaching. It not only helps those with disabilities, but their families and communities by lifting the burden on caregivers. Recipients are now able to become productive members of their communities by often finishing their degrees and finding gainful employment.
I think you will find our organization to be one of the most credible and valuable of your philanthropic endeavors, and that we are always exceeding your expectations as we continue to raise the bar of accomplishing our mission.
As we continue to help more and more deserving individuals, we need your most generous donation to support our life-saving mission.
Thank you,
Carol Borden, Founder and CEO
Mrs. Borden’s expertise and accomplishments are acknowledged by numerous national awards from various industries and agencies including the 2018 Corporate Pet Industry Woman of the Year and multiple awards for her organization’s work in mental health and suicide prevention.
She is frequently requested as a Keynote Speaker, and as an Industry Consultant to teach service dog laws to judicial systems, attorneys, and businesses, and to assist in service dog bills in multiple states that were passed into law. In 2020, she started an Institute for Higher Learning and the Borden Veterinary Hospital. Additionally, she has written and teaches college-accredited/VA-approved apprenticeship courses on dog training and service dog training.
- How to Take Advantage of the CTU Patriot Scholarship - April 5, 2024
- Benefits of Service Dogs for Veterans - April 3, 2024
- The Art of Matching: How We Pair Service Dogs - March 19, 2024
