The Military Litter Has Arrived!

The much anticipated phone call from the breeder came in today! The litter we reserved has been whelped, six healthy puppies will be joining us. There are four black males and two black females, all of whom have seen the vet, who has given them a clean bill of health.

While today's events mark the beginning of a journey for the puppies as they embark to become service dogs, we've been making plans for their arrival for more than a year. Hiring fundraisers, recruiting puppyraisers, establishing relationships. At the same time, the Iowa National Guard has been working hard to prepare our troops to deploy to Afghanistan at the end of this year. The timing of these events are not coincidental: this litter of puppies will be ready for placement at about the same time we expect troops to be needing them.

We hope that you'll follow us for the next two years, watch things unfold, enjoy our successes and, no doubt, some disappointments. Your willingness to share this experience means a great deal to all of us and, I'm sure, means a great deal to all of the soldiers and their families.

Nicole Shumate

Executive Director

Paws & Effect