A few months ago, The Patriot Fund, Inc. provided Southeastern Guide Dogs a scholarship made possible through your generous donations!
“Your gift has given an Air Force Veteran, Paul Utter, a fresh start and a renewed sense of confidence. He recently came to our campus to meet and train with Louie, his new service dog. As you can see in the attached flyer, it’s a perfect match, and Paul is so grateful for this opportunity you have made possible. This is Paul’s second service dog, and he knows what a priceless gift a service dog is.” — Southeastern Guide Dogs
“If you have any desire at all to give up your isolation and lack of confidence, a service dog is the way to go. It’s not like taking on a burden. It’s taking on something that’s going to give you a sense of freedom that you may not have experienced for a long time.” — Paul Utter
Paul Utter is a U.S. Air Force Veteran who lives within a mile of our campus. Paul’s military experience involved years of tragedies that left him with PTSD, and feelings of safety were rare. In 2008 he started volunteering for us, driving puppies to veterinary clinics before we built our veterinary center, socializing the younger puppies, and walking the bigger dogs.
In 2011, Paul was matched with his beloved service dog Ellie, who just retired in December 2021. Last month, he was paired with successor dog Louie and anticipates the same gifts of safety, confidence, and comfort that Ellie provided.
To learn more about Southeastern Guide Dogs, click HERE.