Abington Heights Civic Group raises funds for sanctuary that aids military pets
Published: May 25, 2009
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Courtesy of Karen Walker Lance Cpl. Dennis Veater is seen in his parents' Newton Twp. backyard with family dog Baby before being deployed to Iraq, where he was killed in March 2007. Members of the Abington Heights Civic League raised funds in his memory to support a group that cares for the dogs of service members serving overseas.
When military recruits are sent overseas, they almost always leave loved ones behind. Sometimes the loved one is a pet, and sometimes that pet has nowhere to go.
When members of the Abington Heights Civic League heard about a Pennsylvania animal sanctuary that houses and feeds the dogs of service members overseas, they decided to raise money to support it.
They held a raffle and did small things like forgoing a morning coffee and donating the saved cost, Barbara Strangfeld, co-chairwoman of the league's public affairs committee, said.
They raised more than $700 for Canine Corps, and donated the money in memory of Abington Heights graduate Lance Cpl. Dennis Veater, who was killed in Iraq in March 2007.
"He had a dog that he loved, and the family said this would be something he would support," Ms. Strangfeld said. "Our focus has been to do projects in support of our troops and our veterans," she added. "We do a lot of community work, and this is one piece of it."
The family of the deceased serviceman appreciates the effort to remember him.
"We feel very honored that the Civic League would select an organization such as the Canine Corps to support, but also to honor Dennis," said his sister, Karen Walker.
"A lot of times people forget that there's Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day to honor all those that served our country, and Memorial Day is to honor those that died in service," Ms. Walker said.
After graduating from Abington Heights High School, Lance Cpl. Veater attended Penn State Worthington Scranton Ccampus and decided to join the Marine Corps reserve.
"When they approached him and told him they were looking for volunteers to go to Iraq, he told them, 'If you can't find anyone, I'll go.'���" she said. "He was supposed to be returning home ... but he was sent on a final mission in March 2007," Ms. Walker said. He was killed during the course of the mission.
Several members of the Veater family are members of the approximately 70-member Civic League, including Karen, her grandmother Betty Veater, her mother, Donna Veater, and her aunt.
The sanctuary, located in Shermans Dale about 20 miles from Harrisburg, has about 20 military dogs right now, co-founder Laurie Lyon said. Many of them are the dogs of the National Guard Stryker Force, deployed out of Fort Indiantown Gap, and the owners will return home to their dogs in September.
"We found out that across the country, people who were going off to fight for our country were finding themselves in desperate straits ... especially if they were single and had no family or friends to care for (their pets) while they were gone. People were having to walk up to shelters and say, 'Here, take my best friend,' and never know what happened to them," Ms. Lyon said. "It sounded so heartbreaking, people putting themselves in harm's way to serve the country, and we couldn't even do this for them?"
The shelter, which also houses older and special- needs dogs in its adjoining Paw Prints Dog Sanctuary, can only serve so many animals, Ms. Lyon said.
Ms. Lyon is hoping that as awareness rises, people will step up and volunteer to foster service members' dogs.
"If you're an individual and can take one into your home, go through an enlistment office or a vets organization, let them know you're available," she said, "and start up a little foster program for military pets."
ON THE NET: http://www.paw printsdogsanctuary.org.
Contact the writer: ssolie@timeshamrock.com
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