Fredericksburg Youth Group Builds Agility Course For Service Dogs

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A Fredericksburg-based girls youth group built an agility course for Leashes of Valor, a charity that provides service dogs to disabled veterans. The charity will use the agility course to help train and exercise future service dogs.

American Heritage Girls Troop 1027 member Andrea Peters built the obstacles at home over several weeks for a community service project that AHG calls the Stars & Stripes Award. Andrea, who delivered the course to Leashes of Valor on Saturday, has been a member of the organization since elementary school.

“It took a long time, but building it was my favorite part, because I’m hands-on," Andrea said in a statement.

In addition to Andrea’s work on the agility course, the troop stained a fence at Leashes of Valor’s 20-acre facility in Milford in Caroline County.

Volunteer groups are vital to the success of Leashes of Valor, Danique Masingill, president of the charity, said in a statement.

“The agility course allows dogs and handlers to build a closer bond, as they navigate the obstacles," Masingill said. "It also helps the dogs learn body language and how to move with their handlers. While it’s a fun and effective training tool, the equipment tends to be expensive. This project allows us to have a fun training feature without the cost.”