OTTAWA – Recently local veteran Cpl. Steven McCulloch was paired up with Jellybean, a National Service Dog, specially trained to support veterans.
It’s just one of many initiatives people support when they donate to the Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy Fund.
“The Legion directs funding from the Poppy Campaign for this purpose, and so it is hoped that the citizens of Wellington County will again show their generosity during this November’s campaign,” Malcolm McCulloch, a RCL Dominion Command outreach initiative volunteer and Fergus Legion member, said in an email to the Advertiser.
Malcolm, who happens to be Steven’s father, was hoping to raise awareness of this Poppy Campaign-funded initiative.
The Legion’s Dominion Command has partnered with Wounded Warriors Canada, and donated poppy funds for the acquisition and training of service dogs for veterans with service-related injuries, he explained.
“It typically costs up to $30,000 to acquire and train suitable dogs,” Malcolm said.
The dogs all have different personalities and varying attributes and skill levels, and they are matched to the specific needs of the receiving veteran, he explained.
“A veteran’s needs can be quite complex and range from mobility challenges to PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder),” he said.
They can be trained to do unique things, like recognize and wake a veteran when he’s having a nightmare, he said.
The animals are non-judgmental and provide good company.
It’s possible that any type of dog might be able to do the work, if it’s got the right temperament, but it’s important that the dog’s be certified.
That way, they can “accompany the veteran wherever he goes and provide continuous support,” said Malcolm.
“It could take a veteran over a year to acquire a service dog and the need is great,” he said, reiterating his hope that people will “be generous with your donations to the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund.”
For more information, visit www.nsd.on.ca or www.legion.ca.
