A 5K scheduled for June 24 in Fort Walton Beach will benefit Healing Paws for Warriors, a local nonprofit that provides free service dogs to post-9/11 combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma and other disorders related to military service. The race, Healing Paws for a Cause, will begin at 7:30 a.m. at 139 Brooks Street SE.

By providing them with ADA-certified service canines, Healing Paws for Warriors empowers injured veterans to return to independent civilian life. The nonprofit organization began in Fort Walton Beach as a response to the local need for such a program and the number of veterans in the area. Dogs used for the program are rescued from shelters in Okaloosa, Walton and surrounding counties.

“Our philosophy is to involve the veteran in the training of their new service canine partner, allowing them the opportunity to be part of the solution to their recovery,” says Healing Paws’ Pachari Middleton. “During training, we provide training, certification, equipment, seminars and initial vet care, free of charge. Our mission is to help our heroes to begin their recovery with their new service dog and return home to start their new lives as productive members of society. They enroll in college, start new jobs and most importantly return to their families with their freedom and independence, to begin the road to recovery.” 

Service canines are a treatment aid for PTSD, TBI and MST where medications often fail, she says. “They are considered medical equipment and are a proven recovery tool for these invisible disorders.”

Healing Paws for a Cause is a family- and dog-friendly event. The $30 running fee includes a T-shirt, raffle tickets and a lunch ticket. 

For more information, visit Emerald Coast Chivers on Facebook