Lisa Vanderpump: New Vanderpump Dogs Veteran program announced!

Lisa Vanderpump has been working on a new Vanderpump Dogs Veteran program in order to help match dogs with Veterans as a means of therapy.

Lisa Vanderpump and Vanderpump Dogs have announced an awesome new initiative for the group called the Vanderpump Veterans Program.  The mission of the program is to help improve the lives of Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by finding a companion animal for them.

According to the Vanderpump Dogs site, they will e working along with the Toni Brooks Foundation, New Directions, and Raven Drum Foundations to help provide the dogs at no cost to the Veterans.  They will help match the perfect dog to their new human friend and will help train them in a PTSD-specific training program.  The program would take place over 90 to 120 days and would include training for the dog, as well as training for the veterans along with their new service animal at the end of the program.

Vanderpump Dogs noted that somewhere between 11 and 20% of Veterans returning from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom have developed PTSD, and struggle with dealing with the symptoms.  According to a study done by Purdue in 2018, an emotional support animal “lowered PTSD symptoms, improved the quality of life, and increased social participation among veterans.”

Participants in this and similar studies reported similar results including happiness, decreased stress, and better relationships overall after being paired with their new pooch.

Madeline Quint is a Vanderpump Veterans Trainer that has helped train dogs for the program.  You can watch her work with Roxi, a Vanderpump Veterans alumni, on their YouTube channel.

The Vanderpump Veterans program can be expensive, but they have made it easy to donate to the cause.  There are many other ways to help, too, including donating food, becoming a treat sponsor, and even helping sponsor the grooming of the emotional support animals (ESA).

Lisa might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but she sure knows how to help her fellow humans and pups in a meaningful manner.  Thank you, Lisa!

Vanderpump Dogs will be on the Peacock network sometime in the future!