Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

The WarHawk PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Service Dog Program is a new program, in its first year, that was founded by Kevin “WarHawk” Doncaster.  The purpose of the Program is to provide a special type of service dog, at virtually no cost, to those in need. We especially want to help military veterans, police or firefighters, but are open to others who have experienced significant emotional trauma.

 

To date, Warhawk has placed nine dogs, with a 10th currently in training.

 

A fundrasising BBQ Cook-Off and Silent Auction is being held for the Warhawk PTSD Service Dog Program at the Westside Community Center, Douglas Park in Bartlesville April 25th. Your $10 gets you some food and fun with the proceeds going to the cause.

 

WATCH: Kevin Doncaster with Warhawk PTSD Service Dog Program on KWON's Community Connection Powered by ARVEST

 

The program is a registered-nonprofit organization and has also applied for Charitable Tax-Exempt 501(c)(3) status.  A Board of Directors has been established and will be expanded as the Program develops. 

 

The program also conforms to the requirements for PTSD Service Dog Programs that have been established by the Federal government’s American Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as other local and state organizations. 

 

Any dog that does not make it through our program still has the opportunity to develop in to a service dog, but will require additional work with the recipient and training local to the handler.  When funds are available, we assist with this.  We continually communicate with the recipient to express the development of the dog in our training program.

 

Three of these dogs were our Australian Shepherds, and the rest were donation dogs that we worked with to help place.  

 

Warhawk isdeveloping our breeding program so we can have a constant flow of dogs in training.  However, one of the amazing things that happened throughout 2019 was how the community stepped up and rallied to our cause.  2019 was a tough year, with flooding causing damage to our kennel, and the summer being stressful for the dogs, we missed our breeding cycle.  Outside organizations teamed up with us so that we could get dogs in the hands of those in our waiting list.  

 

Kevin Doncaster with Warhawk PTSD Service Program says the organization is actively looking for more collaboators to join their board and help them expand their reach to those who are in need.