Page 5 - Palm City Spotlight - April '24

Palm City Spotlight, Page 5

Fundraising event

American Humane Raises with the American Humane

$4 Million At Sixth Annual Sanctuary is to give veterans
who have graduated from
Pups4Patriots Dinner Dance the Pups4Patriots program
a comfortable oasis to seek
Pups4Patriots™ Dinner Dance Honors The Donors, peace, and a home where
Dogs, And Handlers Who Support American Humane’s they and their service dog can
Commitment To Service Dogs For Wounded Warriors further their journey together.
It was an evening of altruism and newsworthy moments, as This gift is an enormous
more than 200 supporters of the nation’s first national humane leap in making that mission
organization attended the Sixth Annual Pups4Patriots Dinner a reality, and to helping us
™
Dance at Club Colette in Palm Beach. rescue and protect many
To kick off the event, a surprise gift of $500,000 was made animals in need in a new Ark
in honor of veteran’s advocate and champion of American of Hope facility.”
Humane’s Pups4Patriots program, Lois Pope, by business leader To date, Pups4Patriots
Lloyd Schiller. has delivered more than 300
“No one has surprised me like this in a very long time,” healing leashes into the hands
said Pope. “I am deeply humbled by your generous gift to of U.S. military veterans – at Zachary Chappell and Winnie, Christina Itabashi and Freja, Dr. Robin Ganzert, Brian
our Pups4Patriots program, and you can be assured that your no cost to them – thanks O’Connor, Thomas Mitchell and Joly
contribution is going to help an awful lot of our military and first to the generous support
responders through this life-changing initiative.” of donors. Three of these
Also announced during the event, a show-stopping $3 heroes attended the event
million donation from the Kazma Family Foundation, and shared inspirational
which will serve as the seed stories of how American
gift for the new American Humane’s program was a
Humane Sanctuary located life-changing experience for
in Martin County. The new them. Their remarks are as
animal sanctuary will be follows:
a transformational rescue Christina and Freyja.
retreat for all animals and Christina has served as a
the residential home for the first responder, a wildland
Pups4Patriots service dog firefighter, and an EMT. She Joseph McNamara, Janet
program. lives in Idaho and was paired Levy, Max McNamara
Dr. Robin Ganzert, with Freya, a standard poodle. Gerry Kazma, Leigh-Anne Florence Metzger, Tyler
president and CEO of “Freja has been the most wonderful partner for me. She Kazma Moynihan
American Humane, who is my best friend. Because of Freja’s ability to support me
announced the major gift in so many ways I have been able to go out and do things
with members of the Kazma Brian O’Connor, Dr. Robin I couldn’t or didn’t do without her. I’m able to go out
family, said, “Our mission Ganzert and run errands and do shopping without having to leave

Gail Worth, Frank Orenstein Jim Engle, Gaye Engle

the store in the middle of shopping and have even found
Congressman Brian Mast, Joe Metzger and Meighan myself wanting to venture out to travel more. I have gotten
David Webb McGowan Lois Pope, Bill Porter Nancy Payne, John Payne more of a ‘normal’ life back because of Freja and that has
helped me so much.”
Zack and Winnie. Zack is a U.S. Air Force veteran
who served from 1999 to 2021. During his service, he was
deployed to six overseas locations and served as Special
Ops and a Squadron Superintendent. He has been paired
with “Winnie,” a 1.5-year-old, female Labrador retriever.
“After serving 22 years in the Air Force, 12 in Special
Operations, and retiring with a PTSD and traumatic
brain injury diagnosis, I thought my journey was over.
The baggage I carried coupled with the symptoms of my
battlefield wounds was just too much. That was until I was
turned on to American Humane and their Pups 4 Patriots
Program. The hardest part was taking that first step but
after filling out that application I was surrounded by a care
team and before I knew it a leash was placed in my hand
and Winnie on the other end. In that moment, my focus
changed. Winnie gave me that companionship and healing
I required to get back on track, live life the way I wanted,
and reintegrate back into my family!”
Thomas and Joly. Military Working Dog (MWD) Joly
was retired and needed a ride home from Bahrain to her
family in South Florida. Her handler that served with her
(Brian) is still deployed, so she was received in Florida by
Brian’s father, Tom.
“After several failed attempts to bring Joly stateside,
American Humane stepped in and assisted us in bringing her
home. If not for this organization this reunification probably
would not have occurred. In June, Brian, Morgan, and Joly
will continue their military service in Sasebo, Japan and
reside together as a family for the first time.”
“For some, medications and therapy are simply not
enough to help restore a sense of normalcy, and nothing
can put a smile on a vet’s face like a wagging tail,” said Dr.
Ganzert. “We want every veteran to know that they do not
need to face this battle alone. Man’s best friend can help.”
To learn more, visit americanhumane.org.
Photos by Capehart Photography