Members of the John Bartram Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently attended a ceremony where a service dog they paid for was presented to an Army veteran.
It was about two years ago when DAR members made the decision to sponsor a service dog for a veteran. Chapter members raised money through various fundraising activities to sponsor the dog through Patriot Service Dogs. The money raised covered the food and veterinary bills over the two-year training period.
When the project was announced, a contest was held for chapter members to choose a name from a list of suggested ones. Darcy was the overwhelming winner and chapter members agreed that it was the perfect fit.
Service dogs in the program are trained at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala by 24 specially selected inmates who train 12 dogs. The dogs live with them in two-person cells and the program is of great benefit to the inmates, the dogs and the veteran recipients.
Chapter members received monthly updates and photographs of Darcy’s progress as she went through the program. Weekend volunteers take the dogs to acclimate them in “real world” settings. They are taken everywhere their volunteer handlers go so that they may become accustomed to different environments and learn tasks that wouldn’t be available in the prison environment.
Six dogs, including Darcy, went to Disney World for a “Not so Scary” tour at Halloween. It’s important for the dogs to learn that when they are wearing their service vests, they are totally focused on the needs of their handlers. Darcy has proven to be very smart and a quick learner.
This past Sunday, Darcy was officially given to the veteran who had been selected by Patriot Service Dogs. The ceremony was held in the breezeway at Belle Glade Country Club and one of the speakers was the disabled veteran who earlier this year had received Darcy’s brother as his service dog.
Darcy will soon go to her new home in Wisconsin with her female veteran, a single mother of three who suffers from PTSD. She has promised to send frequent updates about Darcy to chapter members in the future.