Meet a Patriot Service Dog on Veteran’s Day

Returning disabled veterans have many needs; some of which can be met with help from a properly trained canine partner, like those placed by Patriot Service Dogs; a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that matches a service dog’s abilities with an applicant’s disabilities.

On Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 11, Historic City News readers will have a chance see some of the puppies in training to be service dogs and learn more about the capabilities of these amazing companions.

“For the fourth year, we are teaming up with this wonderful organization to foster and place service dogs with returning veterans in need,” David Chatterton, General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours of St Augustine told Historic City News reporters.

Over the course of their training, these dogs learn tasks that can include guiding those who are blind, alerting those who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting someone who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service dogs are working dogs, not pets.

It costs about $5000 to raise and train a service dog from a puppy. During this Veteran’s Day commemoration, Old Town Trolley Tours of St Augustine, and its sister companies across the country, will donate $1 from every ticket sold to foster and support the training of a service dog that can help a wounded veteran regain some of their lost independence.

If you’d like to meet some of these remarkable service dogs in training, Chatterton said that a special area will be set up at Old Town Plaza, located at 167 San Marco Avenue in St Augustine throughout the day Monday.