Fourth Annual America's VetDogs Golf Classic

Fore...th! Annual America's VetDogs Golf Classic Funds Assistance Dogs for Disabled Veterans

18-hole fundraiser includes course prizes, live auction, raffles and Daniel “The Singing Policeman” Rodriguez performing the national anthem

Smithtown, NY  (July 24, 2013) – America’s VetDogs, a recognized leader in assistance and service dog training is pleased to announce its 4thAnnual VetDogs Golf Classic on Monday, August 26, at the Huntington Country Club in Huntington, NY. The tournament funds the placement of a highly trained service and assistance dogs to disabled veterans to help them return to a life of pride and independence. 

The shotgun start begins at 11 a.m., and the match features several hole-in-one prizes including a His and Her Honda Accord and Civic, a Net Jet package and more.  The post-tournament cocktail hour will feature music by the Suffolk County Police Officers’ Emerald Society Pipe Band followed by dinner along with a live auction and raffles. Foursomes have sold out, but dinner and sponsorship opportunities are still available, and information can be found at www.golf.vetdogs.org.

While combat operations in Iraq have ended, those in Afghanistan continue, and the need for specially trained service dogs for disabled veterans continues to grow as these brave soldiers return home. 

Navy HM3 FMF (Fleet Marine Force) corpsman, Joseph Worley will be a featured speaker at the awards dinner. Worley, who served as a medic to a Marine unit spent almost two years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering from his injuries suffered in Iraq in 2004, including the loss of his left leg above the knee, as well as suffering severe damage to his right leg and ankle. He was partnered with service dog Benjamin, a Golden Retriever in 2008, who is trained to help with balance, stability and retrieval. 

In the years since they became a team, Benjamin has become an integral part of Worley’s life. “Benjamin is a constant, nonjudgmental companion who doesn’t treat me differently based on how I look,” Worley says. “I am grateful for the difference he has made in his life – not only for me, but for my family.”

In addition to having Worley and other veteran guests of honor in attendance, VetDogs is honored to have Daniel Rodriguez, known as “The Singing Policeman” and “America’s Beloved Tenor,” perform the National Anthem at the start of the event as well as best-selling author Nelson DeMille. 

America’s VetDogs is able to provide life-altering assistance dogs at no cost to veterans of all eras thanks to private donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraisers such as this.  Golfers at the Classic will have the chance to meet Joe and other veterans and see firsthand how valuable assistance dogs are to their partners. The demand for service dogs far exceeds VetDogs’ current resources as the cost of one service dog is in excess of $50,000, which includes everything from birth to training to placement and a lifetime of aftercare support. 

The 2012 golf classic netted nearly $113,000 and prompted additional giving of more than $30,000 to support disabled veterans. This year, organizers hope to exceed that amount.

About America’s VetDogs® – the Veteran’s K-9 Corps®
America’s VetDogs provides guide, service and assistance dogs to disabled veterans and active duty personnel; physical and occupational therapy dogs for VA and military hospitals; and combat stress control dogs to be deployed overseas. It is the premier provider of assistance dogs for disabled veterans and the military. America’s VetDogs began as a project of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind to expand its programs and services for veterans, and became an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in 2005.

The VetDogs team includes certified instructors, veterinarians, and physical and occupational therapists who work with disabled veterans. Together, they develop innovative training methods that continue to evolve and deliver groundbreaking service to America’s wounded veterans.