The nonprofit No Dog Gets Left Behind is hosting their Annual Valentine’s Charity Event on Saturday, February 21 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia, which will raises money to continue the group’s mission of reuniting returning U.S. soldiers with the war-torn pups they bonded with while deployed in Afghanistan.
No Dog Gets Left Behind provides financial support to bring military personnel back together with the stray animals they found and cared for while at war – a $4,500-per-pet proposition that includes vaccines, medical treatment, transportation to the U.S., and more. While the financial investment is high, the relief, comfort and joy this program provides is immeasurable. The support these dogs give their soldiers greatly facilitates readjustment to civilian life.
“Soldiers find companionship, hope, and a sense of normalcy that is otherwise missing in their lives by partnering with the canine buddy they meet while deployed in a war zone,” says Trish Gohl, founder of No Dog Gets Left Behind. “In the soldier, the stray dog finds safety, comfort and an affection he or she has never known. Throughout the days and months they are together, the soldier and pup form a remarkable bond made only stronger by the stresses of war; however, the bond breaks abruptly when the soldier’s tour of duty ends.” No Dog Gets Left Behind ensures that this special relationship does not have to end permanently.
The highlight of the evening will be special guest, 2014 CNN Hero of the year, Pen Farthing. Farthing is a former sergeant in the Royal Marines and founder of the nonprofit Nowzad, which reunites soldiers and dogs, and has expanded their scope of operation to support the promotion of animal welfare in Afghanistan.
The annual event will be held from 7 p.m. until Midnight in the DoubleTree’s Symphony Ballroom and will feature a live performance from the band POWERi, raffle prizes (including a Club Med vacation package valued at $5,000), and a chance to mix and mingle with soldiers and their dogs.
Tickets for the Valentine’s event cost $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Tickets may be purchased and donations processed at www.ndglb.org. The first 200 people that purchase a ticket to the event will receive a gift bag that includes an advance copy of Farthing’s book “Wylie: The Brave Street Dog Who Never Gave Up.” All proceeds raised at this event will go directly to reuniting another war hero with a beloved canine companion.
