K9s for Warriors, Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food and Bass Pro Shops come together to help American Warrior Justin Madore's dream of receiving a service dog come true just in time for the holiday

Washington, DC (PRWEB) May 22, 2012

With Memorial Day right around the corner, K9s for Warriors, Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food and Bass Pro Shops are happy to share a feel-good story about a deserving American hero. By working together – and with a twist of fate – these organizations were able to help American Warrior Justin Madore's dream of receiving a service dog come true just in time for the holiday.

The story unfolds as the canine coordinators at K9s for Warriors, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds to pair trained, donated service dogs to veterans, began searching for the perfect canine companion for Madore. Not only did the coordinators need to find a canine to provide Madore with unconditional love and assistance as he returned to civilian life, they also needed to find a dog that did not shed since Madore's child is allergic to pet fur and dander.

After an exhaustive search, a Labradoodle, a hypoallergenic dog that is a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle, was located and evaluated. The canine met all the necessary criteria – under the age of two, even tempered, no illnesses, no shedding or dander, and good around other dogs and children – and was happily accepted into the K9s for Warriors program. After being placed with a foster family in Greensboro, N.C., the organization's coordinators began working to make arrangements to transport the dog to its training facility in Florida. K9s for Warriors issued a request on its Facebook page for a volunteer to drive the dog to Florida, but to no avail. Attempts to have a private pilot fly the dog to the facility also came up short.

Days later, the story took a turn for the miraculous – a K9s for Warriors applicant responded to the Facebook posting, graciously offering to drive the dog to Florida. "I almost fell out of my chair. The Warrior – Justin Madore – was offering to pick up his own dog, totally unbeknownst to him," explains Shari Duval, co-founder and president of K9s for Warriors. "I wrote him back and said we would take up up on his offer. I also said, 'Oh, by the way, please be careful with the dog you are picking up as he is very special – he is YOURS!'"

With this twist of fate, plans were secured for Madore to pick up his canine companion at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Concord Mills, N.C. The location was a natural meeting place – Bass Pro Shops is one of the exclusive retailers offering Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food, the official dog food of the K9s for Warriors program. Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food is also available through exclusive premium retailers Southern Foods At Home and Peapod, and for each bag of dog food sold, a donation is made to K9s for Warriors. The dog food can be ordered at Peapod.com, TimberlakeSignatureSeries.com and [SouthernFoodsAtHome.com.

During the meeting, Madore was greeted by Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World general manager Eric Winter and former NFL player Shane Burton. "It was obvious he was overwhelmed with the respect, honor, hospitality and genuine appreciation for his service," says Duval. "Everyone involved made Justin feel honored and respected. Gifts were given, gas money was donated and a groomer had the dog, now named Cody, all cleaned."

Duval continued, saying, "Justin's story is unique in that he actually picked up his own dog, but each Warrior's story is unique.  They arrive at K9s For Warriors truly broken. They walk in on two legs and leave on six. They have a new battle buddy who understands their fears and is a constant reminder to stay in the present, not the past."

 

About Bob Timberlake Signature Series Super-Premium Dog Food

Acclaimed artist and designer Bob Timberlake's interest was sparked in dog food when he lost two of his finest bird dogs from complications arising from foreign pet-food ingredients. He became determined to provide his customers the confidence they have come to expect with his brand by developing the very best dog food with the highest standard of quality control. The company's manufacturer uses its special long-time relationships with local ingredient suppliers to provide the finest-quality ingredients coupled with its state-of-the-art cooking process for the unique super-premium formulation to separate it in terms of quality and nutrition. For more information, visit timberlakesignatureseries.com.

About K9s for Warriors

K9s for Warriors is dedicated to raising awareness and funds to pair trained, donated service dogs to our deserving American Warriors. Many returning soldiers face each day with the disability of lost limbs, blindness, hearing loss and severe depression. Our trained and experienced canine coordinators select the canine that best matches the need of each soldier and then train with the Warrior/K9 team until a partnership is accomplished. K9s For Warriors strives to reduce the Warrior's reliance on others and return to civilian life with dignity and independence by providing them with a canine that will offer unconditional love and assistance. For more information, visit k9sforwarriors.org.

Mike Cohen
Trinity Consulting
678-947-9040
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