Putnam Service Dogs Adds Ninth Member
Putnam Service Dogs (PSD) has been advancing its mission despite the at-home quarantine since March. The organization just added a ninth member to the Board of Directors, Peggy Garay-Smith of Putnam Lake. All nine board members are dog lovers, bring enthusiasm for Putnam Service Dogs’ cause, and various skills and backgrounds to the board. They reside in either Westchester or Putnam counties.
Putnam Service Dogs incorporated in September 2016 as a NY State nonprofit corporation and achieved its 501(c)3 status in November 2016. It is a Platinum Level Guidestar organization. The group raises and trains free service dogs for people with physical disabilities other than blindness. Putnam Service Dogs’ mostly mixed breed dogs are carefully chosen for their temperaments and size from local rescue organizations. The nonprofit’s standard poodle (a hypoallergenic dog) was donated by her breeder for applicants with severe asthma.
“Just as PSD’s 3-plus years of focused work is coming to fruition, COVID-19 and the financial shut down hit,” a press release noted.
The organization had planned on placing its first graduating service dog, Benji, with his matched recipient in April 2020, and conducting the two to three week training to ensure an effective team. The stay-at-home quarantine delayed that plan, and PSD will place Benji in May 2020.
Find out more about Putnam Service Dogs by visiting www.putnamservicedogs.org or calling 917-449-5359.
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