Resurrection's Plant Sale Earns Vet Dog Naming Rights

For a second year in a row, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection's May Plant Sale, in support of America's Vet Dogs, has raised the $6,500 necessary to earn the privilege of naming a puppy. America's Vet Dogs (www.VetDogs.org) is the organization that supplied President Bush's devoted dog, Sully. Ever since the story of that dog's loyalty went viral, the number of applications for these service dogs has increased. A 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, they train and place specially-bred and highly-skilled special assistance dogs with veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities. This is done at no cost to the recipient despite the program costing more than $50,ooo per dog.

Resurrection's entire congregation showed puppy love. The Plant Sale Committee used their "green thumbs" to sell perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables, hanging baskets, tropical plants, and grasses provided by a local grower. The Women's Ministries First Fridays' group and the Seniors Acting In Love (S.A.I.L. group) collected Puppy Shower nursery items. The church's Youth Group addressed the need for puppy-raisers by distributing Vet Dog information to local stores and libraries.

In 2018, a puppy born from that July's litter in Smithtown got named "Pax," meaning peace in Latin, as the result of a congregational naming contest last summer. In September, members of the Plant Sale Committee went to the Vet Dog site. There, Nancy McDonald, Eileen Peers, and Lorraine Kuzniar (pictured left to right) were introduced to the beautiful, well-behaved, eight-week-old Golden Labrador by Donna DeSivo of America's Vet Dogs (holding the puppy). Pax has already begun the second and final phase of his two years of training. He resides with a Pennsylvania raiser who takes him out for exposure to advanced socialization skills. He is also in a local prison's Service Dog Education Program undergoing customized training tailored to his recipient's needs.

Success of the church's May 4 Plant Sale has nurtured congregational interest in the new puppy to be named "Shiloh." This means place of peace in Hebrew from the Biblical book of Genesis.

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection is located at 420 Stewart Avenue in Garden City. A Christian community of faith, the church invites all to worship at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and at 8:30, 9:45, and 11 a.m. Sunday mornings, with Christian education at 10 a.m. For more information, please call 516.746.4426, or visit www.resgc.org.