Pets for Vets comes to Gorge

“I wanted to volunteer, and they said, ‘there’s not one close by you.’ So I decided to start one,” she said.

The program matches veterans with companion animals — usually dogs, although there have been requests for cats and even rabbits. After interviewing the veteran to find out what sort of pet they’re looking for (large or small, energetic or calm, short hair or long), the animals are found at area shelters and trained by Kelsie Scroggins of Kind Animal Services before coming home to their vet. Training can last up to five weeks, depending on the animal.

“Obviously cats don’t need a whole lot of training — they have their own program,” Dennis joked.

The program’s mission is to reach out to both veterans and shelter animals. “It’s a dual purpose mission statement,” she said. “They rescue each other.”

Many want an animal to help cope with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), anxiety, depression, or fear — of being home alone or going out in public.

“It gets the veteran to care for something, to go outside and be active,” Dennis said.

Volunteers are needed to foster the dogs while they undergo training with Scroggins and must live locally.

“You have to arrange to meet up with the trainer every day or every other day, so you have to live in the same town,” Dennis explained. The Oregon-Columbia Gorge Pets for Vets chapter covers a 100 mile radius around Hood River — but does not extend into Portland.

Another need is “friendraising,” or helping put on events in Hood River and The Dalles to raise program awareness.

Dennis, a former licensed marriage and family therapist in Wyoming, has worked as an adoption counselor at Hood River Adopt A Dog for the past six years.

“Being a therapist, you deal with anxiety, depression and suicidality,” she said. “I didn’t work specifically with veterans at that point, but in the mental health field. My son saw ‘Shelter Me,’ which highlights Pets for Vets, and he said, ‘you have to look at this. It’s exactly what you should be doing with your life.’

“That’s when I first got interested.”

For more information about the Pets for Vets program or to volunteer, email Dennis at columbiagorge-or@pets-for-vets.com.