Nonprofit building campus to train service dogs for veterans
Mike Jones
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc., which is based in Williston, Fla., is hoping to break ground in March on its new campus that will be located on this 102-acre property along Beagle Club Road in Robinson Township.
Mike Jones
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc., which is based in Williston, Fla., is hoping to break ground in March on its new campus that will be located on this 102-acre property along Beagle Club Road in Robinson Township.
A nonprofit organization based in Florida that specializes in training service dogs to help military veterans is preparing to build a new $20 million campus in Washington County.
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. is hoping to break ground in March on its new campus that will be located on a 102-acre property along Beagle Club Road in Robinson Township.
无毛视频淚sn无毛视频檛 it great that we无毛视频檙e on a road called Beagle Club?无毛视频� said Jack Wagner, who is the organization无毛视频檚 part-time regional development director helping Guardian Angels to get its foothold in the Pittsburgh area. 无毛视频淚t will double the number of dogs that can be provided to veterans on an annual basis.无毛视频�
The organization was founded six year ago in Williston, Fla. and has a campus there to train the dogs and then pair them with veterans. The new campus near Pittsburgh will offer veterans in the northeast and Midwest a closer trip that will expand the number of dogs available to those in need.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e on a journey to build the first campus outside of Florida,无毛视频� Wagner said. 无毛视频淎 single campus in Florida is not sufficient for the demand of the dogs. Keep in mind, the dogs are provided to veterans with serious visible and invisible injuries. Western Pennsylvania has a high concentration of veterans.无毛视频�
Wagner, a Vietnam veteran while in the Marine Corps and Democratic politician who served in numerous government positions over the years, is well-known around this area, making him the perfect liaison for the organization.
The non-profit has several corporate sponsors and received small donations to help with the project, which is nearly halfway to its $20 million goal. It has trained a total of 400 dogs 无毛视频� which takes more than two years and costs about $25,000 each 无毛视频� and has helped veterans in 30 states over the past six years, including Western Pennsylvania, Wagner said.
无毛视频淭he support here has been fantastic, and geographically it would be the campus that serves the northeastern part of the country, and to some extent, the Midwestern part of the country,无毛视频� Wagner said.
The campus will have multiple training facilities for the dogs, along with a dormitory for veterans to spend two weeks getting to know their dog before they go home. The property, which is about four miles northwest of McDonald, is near the Southern Beltway, making it a short drive to Pittsburgh International Airport.
无毛视频淵ou have to come to the campus for the last two weeks of training and be part of the training process. Washington County, simply, is a great location,无毛视频� Wagner said. 无毛视频淐lose and accessible to the airport for people to fly in and get their dog.无毛视频�
The non-profit purchased the land in February 2019, according to county property tax records. It无毛视频檚 not known when construction will be completed and the campus will be up and running, but Wagner said it will be worthwhile addition to the area that will help many veterans who need the comfort of a service animal.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a complex project, but it will be a magnificent project in the right location,无毛视频� Wagner said.
For more information about the project or offer support go online to www.medicalservicedogs.org or call Wagner at 412-352-1111.