This month marks one year since the first ever San Diego Service Dog graduation! As we hit the one year mark, we can’t help but reminisce about last year’s graduation and this past year’s triumphs.

Last August, our San Diego location had the honor of pairing three one-of-a-kind Service Dogs with three one-of-a-kind Warriors. These star pups were ready to begin their journey with their forever Warrior after 2 to 3 years of preparation leading to this moment of significance. We were honored to pair Kevin, an Air Force Veteran, with Service Dog Sergeant, Carlos, an Army Veteran, with Service Dog Liberty and Michael, a Marine Corp Veteran, with Service Dog Drew. When witnessing each Service Dog partnership growing, it was clear that these teams were meant to be.

The graduation ceremony had great attendance with over 125 attendees joining the celebration. Many big names joined the ceremony, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, CAPT Calson the CO Naval Base San Diego, San Diego Police Department Captain Laura McLean, and Miss San Diego. Everyone in attendance enjoyed witnessing the pair’s partnerships grow and could feel the power of the placed teams.

Since that San Diego graduation last Summer, we are happy to say that Paws for Purple Hearts has continued to grow immensely across the board! We have taken on several new staff and dogs-in-training, as well as beginning to open even more sites, allowing us to continue to serve as many Warriors as possible across the country.

As we advance towards the Fall, we are excited to move towards our next Service Dog graduation at our Ruther Glen, Virginia site! This will be the third graduation at our Ruther Glen site to include dogs from our Southwest and Southeast regions. We can’t wait to witness their first steps towards the future with their Warrior, knowing their years of training will allow them to change their lives.

We would like to extend a massive thank you to the NAMES Foundation for their generosity in providing hotel rooms to many of our clients who have gone through client training. Carlos, one of our 2021 San Diego graduates, was one of our clients who received a hotel room for client training and graduation through the generosity of the NAMES Foundation. The NAMES Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded to honor 1st Lt. Nicholas Madrazo and all other Military Service Members, Veterans, and their families. Their generosity and support have directly impacted the lives of many Warriors, allowing them to take the next step in their journey.

We would not be able to assist Warriors without the generosity of our supporters. If you would like to support our Ruther Glen graduation this Fall, please check out their Amazon Wishlist to support their special day! You can also support Paws for Purple Hearts through volunteering, monetary donations, or helping us to spread the word about our cause. Simply telling people about our mission can help us to reach more Warriors in need!