Charitable partnerships are a key factor in ETM’s strong community relationships. And the leadership at ETM understands how those partnerships have far more impact on employee volunteer hours and donations than individual giving.
This sentiment is strongly reflective of ETM’s culture. So, it is no surprise that ETM employees, eager to show gratitude to veterans, consider it a tremendous privilege to recognize K9s for Warriors every year through monetary and in-kind charitable giving. And in December 2019, ETM’s executive leadership selected K9s for Warriors to be the recipient of a generous Christmas donation on behalf of its valued clients. On February 17th, K9s CEO, Rory Diamond, accompanied by Warrior Trainer, Greg Wells and his service dog, visited ETM to share with our employees the current developments that demonstrate how they are focused on innovating, serving our heroes, and helping more rescue dogs. At the same time, K9s was presented with a donation made on behalf of ETM’s valued clients during the 2019 Christmas season.
About K9s For Warriors
Founded in 2011, K9s For Warriors is a not-for-profit organization committed to providing service dogs to disabled veterans around the country who are suffering from PTSD as a result of military service. The service dogs assist the warriors with making the transition back into civilian life. Since it was founded, K9s for Warriors has served over 600 warriors and rescued 1,100 dogs. The nonprofit doesn’t have a specific number they want to reach, instead they want to ensure that every warrior who needs a service dog gets one. A recent study shows that veterans with PTSD demonstrate lower levels of depression, lower levels of social isolation, lower overall symptoms of post-traumatic stress, higher overall psychological well-being and life satisfaction when they have a service dog.
K9s for Warriors trains the dogs and matches them with soldiers, who participate in a three-week residential training program to learn how to work with their service dog. Included is equipment, certification, seminars, legal instruction, vet care, housing, home cooked meals, unconditional love and listening, and a lifetime of support from the K9s family network.
Through donor and community support, K9s for Warriors is continuing to grow and recently broke ground on a new facility at its Nocatee location. The new expansion will save nearly 400 additional dogs a year and help transition an equal number of wounded veterans back to civilian life. The dog training facility is located in western Nocatee, at the intersection of US1 and Nocatee Parkway, near RaceTrack Road on 5-5-acres of additional land donated by the Parc Group. ETM is providing in-kind civil engineer services including coordination with the architect, client, contractor, and other stake holders; site infrastructure design including utility services, stormwater collection piping, and parking area and sidewalk design; permitting of the site infrastructure design with various local agencies. ETM provided similar services on the original facility in 2014.