St. James 7th Grader & Nesaquake Middle School Helping Veterans & First Responders 1 Puppy at a Time

A St. James middle schooler has raised more than $19,000 since the beginning of January 2016 in an effort he spearheaded with his middle school to sponsor future service dogs that could one day be companions for wounded veterans and first responders, who are blind or have low vision; hearing dogs for those who have lost their hearing later in life; service dogs for those with other physical disabilities; facility dogs as part of the rehabilitation process in military and VA hospitals, and PTSD service dogs to help mitigate the effects of PTSD in an effort to provide the emotional and physical support needed. America’s VetDogs (www.VetDogs.org), the sister organization of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind (www.Guidedog.org), both located in Smithtown have been providing this service, at absolutely no charge to the Veteran or First Responder since 2003.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help contribute to Matthew’s fundraising effort and learn more about America’s VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, please go to Mattsfundraiser.vetdogs.org.