TODAY Teams Up with America’s VetDogs to Help Raise Service Dog for Disabled Veteran
NEW YORK – August 22, 2016 – NBC’s TODAY welcomed a new “puppy with a purpose” this morning to follow in the paw prints of Wrangler, the show’s first service-dog-in-training. The new puppy, an 8-week old male black Labrador Retriever, is from America’s VetDogs, a nonprofit organization that provides trained service and guide dogs to veterans and first responders with disabilities. For 16 months, the TODAY show anchors and staff will be part of the organization’s “puppy raising team” to help the puppy become a service dog.
With the guidance of an experienced dog handler, the TODAY team will help raise and train the puppy in Studio 1A during the show. At the end of 16 months, the puppy will continue its formal service dog training with a certified instructor from America’s VetDogs and will be matched with a disabled veteran.
TODAY is asking viewers to help choose the puppy’s name by casting their votes on TODAY.com. The name will be announced on the show tomorrow, Tuesday, August 23. Viewers are also encouraged to track the puppy’s progress on social media, by following the username @TodayPuppy on both Twitter and Instagram.
“We are excited to enlist TODAY as part of our training team,” said VetDogs CEO Wells B. Jones. “The puppy will be exposed to an amazing variety of experiences that will allow him grow up to be comfortable and confident in just about every situation. When it’s time, that confidence will help a veteran conquer the challenges they face.”
To watch the welcome segment from this morning, visit http://www.today.com/pets/he-s-here-vote-new-today-show-puppy-s-name-t101724. For photos of the new puppy, visit https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rbwf6f7gbwy4eym/AAD_FbxdrF9yOHe-ZOKe6JIfa?dl=0. For more information on Wrangler, TODAY’s service-dog-in-training from January 2015 to March 2016, visit http://www.today.com/pets/everything-you-need-know-about-wrangler-todays-puppy-purpose-t5296.
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ABOUT TODAY
NBC’s TODAY is the news program that informs, entertains, inspires and sets the agenda each morning for Americans. Airing live from 7 am to 11 am ET, TODAY reaches more than 5 million people every day through its broadcast, and millions more through TODAY.com, the TODAY app, and social media platforms. Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Willie Geist, Tamron Hall, Carson Daly, Billy Bush, Hoda Kotb, and Kathie Lee Gifford are the anchors and hosts, Noah Oppenheim is the SVP and Executive in Charge, and Don Nash is the executive producer.
ABOUT AMERICA’S VETDOGS
Since 2003, America’s VetDogs (www.VetDogs.org) has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide independence, enhanced mobility, and companionship to veterans with disabilities from all eras. In 2015, VetDogs opened its programs to first responders, including fire, police, and emergency medical personnel. America’s VetDogs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by the Guide Dog Foundation. VetDogs relies on contributions from generous individuals, corporations, service clubs, and foundations to fund its mission to help those who have served our country live with dignity and independence. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place one assistance dog, but America’s VetDogs provides its services completely free of charge to the individual.
America’s VetDogs is only the second assistance dog school in the United States to be certified by the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International.
For more information contact:
Megan Kopf Stackhouse
NBC News
e: megan.kopf@nbcuni.com
p: 212-664-6205
