Dogtopia and Paws With A Cause Team Up for 10th Annual “Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash” To Benefit Veterans And Assistance Dogs
Tysons Corner, VA (PRWEB) May 28, 2014 -- Dogtopia, an award-winning, national dog daycare, boarding and spa franchise, announced today they have partnered with Paws With A Cause®, a non-profit organization that provides assistance dogs to veterans and people with disabilities for its 10th annual Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash. On Sunday, June 22, Dogtopia locations across the country will host the 10th Annual Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash. Proceeds will benefit Paws With A Cause veteran’s programs and support efforts that provide veterans, service members and their families with dogs to assist with physical disabilities — enhancing their quality of life, helping with healing/recovery and often providing a new outlook on life.
“We are so pleased to be partnering with Paws With A Cause and helping to further the access veterans have to the dogs that are so impactful to their lives,” said Amy Nichols, CEO of Dogtopia. "Our entire company looks forward to this event, and we are proud of the work we have done to benefit veterans and assistance dogs. We look forward to marking the 10th anniversary in a big way with a great partner.”
From East coast to West coast, all 29 stores will participate in the nationwide event to raise money for Paws With A Cause. Dog owners are invited to bring their dog(s) in for a bath given by Dogtopia’s trained team members and volunteers. The event will also feature pet friendly vendors and fun for the whole family. A $15 per dog wash donation is requested. Dogtopia has set out to raise $35,000 for working dogs helping veterans across the United States.
“At Paws With A Cause, we feel it is more important than ever to find great partners like Dogtopia in supporting our cause,” said Michael Sapp Sr., Paws With A Cause CEO and Co-founder. “As a non-profit, we rely on donations to help fund the programs we feel so passionate about. Paws With A Cause is proud to have some of the nation's finest veterans as assistance dog clients. Our men and women in uniform make us proud every day, and we truly thank them all for their service and sacrifice. We have a wonderful system of dogs and trainers and are always thrilled when we are able to match our dogs with veterans and see the impact it has on their/their families’ quality of life.” Log on to http://www.pawswithacause.org to learn more.
One such success story for Paws With A Cause veteran programs comes from Kevin Stone. Kevin Stone was a young, strong U.S. Army Ranger-trained soldier and a member of the elite 7th Infantry’s Light Fighter program. He was injured during active duty when his Jeep careened off a cliff during tactical operations, and he flew 144 feet with his Jeep as it fell over the cliff. The accident broke his neck — and his spirit — and frayed his spinal cord.
The injury left him without the use of his legs. Stone began a 16-year journey of rehab and medication trials. As part of a sports rehabilitation program, Stone began competing in nationally-sanctioned sports. Stone was a Team USA member in archery in both 2004 and 2008. His Paws With A Cause Service Dog, Jonah, was by his side and traveled around the country with Stone as he trained to attend the Olympic Games in Athens. In 2004, Stone was a member of the first U.S. team to ever medal in archery, as Team USA captured the bronze medal.
Since the 2004 Olympic Games, Stone lost Jonah to canine cancer. Jonah’s soul will be forever present in Stone’s heart, as Jonah was truly Stone’s “motivational prosthesis of freedom” in his life and in his pursuit to serve his country. Stone has been provided with a PAWS Successor Dog named Mambo. Mambo is 110 pounds of thunder and muscle, and he and Stone can be seen roaming the hills near their home in Tennessee. Stone’s remarkable can do spirit has led him to the privilege of representing the United States of America in three different uniforms — Army Ranger, AMVETS Service Officer and Paralympian. The donations from Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash will go to help support veterans just like Kevin and Mambo.
For specific information about the Dogtopia Charity Dog Wash event near you or to donate to the cause, visit http://www.k9support.org. Supporters can also donate by texting Dogtopia to 50155.
About Dogtopia:
Dogtopia is a national dog daycare, boarding and spa franchise committed to providing exceptional care to canines and their families at its 29 U.S. locations. Dogtopia prides itself on being a place where pets are valued as family, and dogs enjoy playtime, spa treatments and overnight stays in a positive environment. The company was founded by Amy Nichols in 2002 based on the belief that combining a strong vision, a passion for dogs and a second-to-none executive team would lead to success. With that success, Dogtopia began franchising in 2005. Currently, there are 29 locations with 15 additional currently under development nationwide. The Dogtopia system includes both franchise and company-owned stores. Dogtopia is poised to grow to more than 400 stores in the U.S. and Canada over the next several years. Dogtopia is the proud recipient of Inc. 500/5000 List of America’s Fastest Growing Companies (2008 – 2013), Entrepreneur Franchise 500 (2014), Smart CEO Future 50 (2014) and Franchise Times Next 300 (2013). K-9 Support is Dogtopia’s 501(c)(3) charitable arm. For more information on Dogtopia and K-9 Support, Inc., log onto http://www.dogdaycare.com and http://www.k9support.org.
About Paws With A Cause®:
Paws With A Cause enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog Teams through education and advocacy. They have placed more than 2,500 assistance dog teams. Learn more at PawsWithACause.org.
Stacey G. Wynia, +1 310-795-8303, [email protected]
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