The Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation Awards Grant

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The Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to Freedom Service Dogs of Englewood, Colo. for their “Pawsitive Connections” program, a therapeutic dog training program, established to teach high risk Colorado youth to help train the dogs as part of their rehabilitation.

The youth, ages 11-18, are taught appropriate ways of handling the frustrations and learning the patience required for dog training, benefiting both the dogs and the kids.

They work with certified dog trainers to help provide the first phase of training to the rescued dogs, and also participate in exercises that help instill respect, responsibility, empathy, positive communication, self-control and social skills.

“We’re proud to contribute to Pawsitive Connection, a program whose philosophies we believe in and fully support,” Tony de Vos said. “We’ll also be sending them Crazy Dog Train-Me! treats to help shorten the learning curve in those dog training classes.”

The Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation, established by de Vos, owner of Cardinal Pet Care in Azusa, Calif., supports groups that help promote the values and life lessons that children learn from caring for a pet, using the foundation’s “Back Bones of Character” program.

The program encourages youth to: Be caring, contribute, have courage, be dependable, be fair and have respect.  The Back Bones of Character logo uses “bones” as symbols of the character values that are part of a spine or backbone – an icon that gives kids a memorable and positive vision of the strong character they can develop.

“Helping children and pets is a goal our two foundations have in common,” Sharan Wilson, the executive director of Freedom Service Dogs, said. “It’s so appropriate that a pet company that makes dog training rewards and has such an interest in kids and pets would sponsor our youth dog training program.”

To learn more about the Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation, visit www.CrazyPetFoundation.com.