Canines for Courage honors, helps those who have served
The benefits of having a pet are well known, but as we learned in the Wednesday, Oct. 25, edition of the Butler Eagle, there can also be some benefits to giving someone else a pet.
That is part of the premise behind the nonprofit Canines for Courage, which gives English Labrador puppies to veterans, emergency responders, doctors, nurses and others who have served the community. The first puppy was given away after Pierre Khoury, a real estate agent in Cranberry Township, learned of the death of a friend’s husband on Christmas Day 2017.
The next Christmas, Khoury, along with Colin and Erin Zedreck, co-owners of Berkley Creek Pet Retreat, invited their friend over and surprised her by giving a military family an English Labrador puppy in her honor. Khoury served in the military for 10 years and was aware of how much good a dog can do for veterans — and for others, as well.
A recent article from the Mayo Clinic pointed out that dog owners have lower cholesterol and blood pressure than those who don’t, and are also less prone to mental health issues like depression, anxiety and loneliness.
After the first donation, Debbie Martell, the woman in whose honor it was done, joined the organization’s board. Since 2018, the group has taken nominations and the board of directors has looked them over to make sure the nominee would be able to give the dog a good home.
The criteria for who is eligible is flexible, and Khoury wants it to be that way.
“Our definition of a hero is very broad,” he said. “Someone who’s served in the community, served our nation, done something that could be extraordinary, or a lot of times stuff that’s just been looked over.”
Canines for Courage is an excellent example of how a small group of people can do something that makes a difference in the lives of people throughout the community, as well as honor people who have served the community in different ways.
— JK
