Segment of CMT’s ‘Texas Women’ reality show to be filmed during event
Zanata Restaurant in downtown Rockwall will host a fundraiser for
Patriot PAWS service dogs from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 4.
Hannah Helvey, star of CMT’s Texas Women reality show will be the featured guest and will be filming a segment of her show at the event.
There will be a silent auction of items donated by Rockwall-area businesses to raise funds for Patriot PAWS.
The public is invited to come by and enjoy good food and fun,
meet Hannah and see demos of what Patriot PAWS dogs can do
to help disabled American veterans and others regain their
independence.
Patriot PAWS is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that trains and donates service dogs to disabled American veterans and others at no cost all over the U.S.
Lori Stevens, founder and executive director, and a professional dog trainer for more than 20 years, founded Patriot PAWS in 2006. A group of disabled veterans from the V.A. hospital in Dallas contacted Lori to help them train their dogs. She saw such a great need for trained service dogs to assist these wounded veterans, that she quit her job, and began Patriot PAWS as a service to those who have served.
In 2008, Lori entered into an agreement with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to train female inmates at
the women’s prison in Gatesville Texas to train service dogs. This venture has proven to be a win-win situation for
everyone.
The inmates chosen for the program are given the opportunity to learn a trade and regain their self esteem and it has enabled Patriot PAWS to place more dogs with deserving veterans.
The cost of training just one dog, over a two year period is more than $30,000. There are 40 dogs in training at the present time and funds are desperately needed to continue providing quality service dogs to those
in need.
By Bonnie Hardick, Patriot Paws; edited for publication by Blue Ribbon News, all rights reserved.
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