BOCA RATON, Fla. — Lenny Polidor is a diligent new dog owner. It’s only been two weeks since he rescued his new puppy, Lena.
He says the decision to get a dog was easy.
Polidor calls his bond with Lena a gift, but the pairing is actually part of a new student veteran program at Florida Atlantic University that's addressing PTSD.
“You don't know you have it, until somebody tells you,” he said. “Sometimes you just don't know what you're dealing with, until somebody points it out to you.”
Polidor is participating in a new program called the “FAU Veteran Canine Rescue Mission,”which is a partnership with the Humane Society of Broward County and Happy With Dogs.
The FAU Veteran Canine Rescue Mission program matches FAU student veterans and alumni veterans with dogs from the Humane Society of Broward County, which will be trained by Happy With Dogs either for service, emotional support or companionship.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY🐾“FAU Veteran Canine Rescue Mission” gifting student veterans with a free dog and complimentary training for those coping with stress and PTSD
— Linnie Supall WPTV (@LinnieSupall) March 18, 2022
C-P.A.W.W. (Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors) Health Research Initiative for Veterans #wptv pic.twitter.com/Ht6uulRzJG
The program, which also includes a research component on the human-canine bond, will serve as a resource for more than 1,300 military and veteran students currently at FAU.
Housed within Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors (C-P.A.W.W.) in FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, the FAU Veteran Canine Rescue Mission also is collaborating with FAU’s Military and Veterans Student Success Center to ensure students have the tools required for a smooth transition to civilian and academic life.
For more information about C-P.A.W.W. Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors, click here.