ClarksvilleNow.com Reporting
news@clarksvillenow.com
Clarksville, Tenn. – Local Junior Girl Scout Troop 779 plans to make the community aware of benefits of using service dogs to fight Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with their event, Pups Assisting Wounded Soldiers (PAWS).
PAWS is scheduled for July 14, from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on the grounds of Trinity Episcopal Church at 317 Franklin Street. The festival will include booths with give-aways from sponsors, professional pet photography, games including the dog treat version of a cake walk, and information on PTSD and service animals. Pet costume, fashion, and talent contests are also taking place, with registration available on the day of the event. Other contests will include hot dog eating and a chance to guess the number of dog treats in a jar.
Hotdogs, chips, drinks, homemade baked dog treats, and frozen PUPsicles will be sold, with proceeds collected going directly to Train A Dog – Save A Warrior (TADSAW), a national non-profit organization that trains dogs as service animals for wounded warriors at no cost to individual soldiers. The girls chose to support TADSAW because the group often rescues dogs from shelters to be service animals.
Troop member Ava Ploeckelman said that being Girl Scouts in a military town, “we see firsthand the effects that war can have on a soldier,” and that it will be an “amazing event” for a “great organization.”
While organizing PAWS, The nine 11-year-old girls in Troop 779 gained many valuable skills as they learned to delegate responsibilities and work as a team. The troop met with local business owners and leaders to plan the event, gaining much positive support from the community. The time and effort that the troop, their leaders, and parents spent on the project will earn the girls the Girl Scout Bronze Award, the highest honor given to a Girl Scout Junior.
For additional information, visit the event Facebook page: