Napa, CA
When veterans come back from combat, it's really hard for them -- every day they relive the slaughter and mayhem of war, are challenged to fit into daily life, constantly feel on edge and have horrid reoccurring nightmares. The slightest disruption can make them angry and irritable and possibly violent. But a dog can sense when they need calming love, when they are getting agitated, and put their paw or head on the veteran’s thigh to calm them down
“These dogs help vets get going every day. It's really wonderful to see how even after these dogs have been with someone else for a year or two in training, they know when they meet their vet that it is kismet, their forever soulmate,” said Hadeler, who is also a Canine Guardians board member, puppy parent and fundraising chair. “The bond is just amazing.”
One grateful vet said, “My dog, Hero, is a true and daily ‘wingman’ for me. While driving, Hero lays his head on my shoulder, which reminds me of my service buddies putting their hands on my shoulder to let me know they had my back. When I forget to wear my C-Pac at night when my sleep apnea is bad and I stop breathing Hero wakes me up and gets me going again. He has my back…always.”
Canine Guardians Assistance Dogs is a nonprofit, fully volunteer, donation-based organization whose main goal is to raise, train, and place specially trained dogs with PTSD veterans and their families at no cost to the veteran, as well as others with disabilities. Its annual tournament and fundraiser, which took place on Friday, August 2, at Vintner’s Golf Course, raised money for vet bills, vaccines, medicine, medical procedures, training facilities, leashes, vests, and various other organizational needs.
Hadeler participated because she has always loved dogs and greatly appreciates the sacrifice and dedication our service people do for us. She started doing foster care for NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue in 2007, during the short sales and REO era when people were losing their houses and not finding rentals that would take dogs. “We had a lot of dogs that needed new homes because the owners could not take them,” noted Hadeler.
One of the last dogs she fostered was a 9.5-year-old golden retriever that was in really bad shape and had a bottle cap embedded in his mouth. “I had him bathed, teeth cleaned, ears cleaned and bottle cap removed -- all in less than 36 hours and he was transformed into this happy, beautiful dog,” Hadeler recalled. “I was told to call people to find him a new home but my son and I looked at each other and said no, we are keeping this one. We named him Chase because he would chase the cats out of the house.”
When they lost Chase about 5 years later, Hadeler came across Canine Guardians announcing they needed puppy parents. She met with them and immediately became a Puppy Parent and a month later joined the board. “The service that Canine Guardians provides is wonderful. We just started our 5th year in operation. It takes about 1.5-2 years to get a dog ready to be homed with a vet,” stated Hadeler. “We have had 2 graduations since inception, and placed 10 dogs. One dog was just placed with Mike Krukow, the announcer for the San Francisco Giants.”
“We just had puppies so we are looking for Puppy Parents right now. We train you to train the dogs and we pay all the veterinarian bills. If you are interested in being a Puppy Parent, email info@canineguardians.org,” stated Hadeler.
To donate to Canine Guardians, visit www.canineguardians.org or mail a donation to Canine Guardians, PO Box 5313, Napa, CA 94581. Canine Guardians will also be in this year’s Napa GiveGuide.
About Marcia Hadeler, Coldwell Banker
Marcia Hadeler works with both buyers and sellers, specializing in residential and income-producing properties. Marcia is a Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Short Sale/Foreclosure Specialist and Certified Negotiation Expert. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors®, California Association of Realtors® and North Bay Association of Realtors®. For more information, please call 707-815-0569, or visit https://www.123napa.com/.
For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
