Non-profit connecting service dogs to veterans in desperate need of donations

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Around 17 veterans die every day by suicide. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

But a Lilburn non-profit, Top Dogg K9 Foundation, has been working to reduce that number for more than a decade with dogs.

Now they’re in dire need of funding, or they say they won’t be able to serve any more veterans for the remainder of this year.

Antonio Merriweather is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq. After leaving the military he dealt with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and substance abuse. In 2018, he says he could barely get out of bed.

“I was in therapy. I was on the anti-depressants. I was doing all these things, but there was still a piece that was missing,” Merriweather said.

That missing piece turned out to be a dog. Merriweather adopted a dog through the Top Dogg K9 Foundation named Sergeant. That’s when he says his whole life changed for the better. His mental and physical health improved, and he repaired a lot of relationships.

“It is a program that works, service dogs work,” Merriweather said about the Top Dogg K9 Foundation.

Army Veteran, Blake Rashad, founded the non-profit organization in 2011. Since then, he and his wife Sheila have helped pair more than 400 veterans with service dogs.

But following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rashads say funding has been lacking.

“Due to lack of funding we’re going to have to adopt these amazing dogs out into the community,” Sheila Rashad said.

More than 30 dogs at Top Dogg K9 Foundation have already received months of service training. But in order to have them fully trained and paired with a veteran, the Rashads say they need donations quickly or they will need to re-home the pups to other civilians.

“I cannot put these dogs in the hands of veterans if they’re not properly trained,” Blake Rashad said. “And that’s a lot of people left behind, especially when we’ve got over 200 veterans on our list waiting for dogs.”

Merriweather says he’s living proof that this program works and hopeful it can keep helping other veterans, too.

“This place has saved a lot of lives, and I think it should continue,” Merriweather said. “Dogs are awesome, man.”

If you’d like to donate to Top Dogg K9 Foundation, click here. They’re hoping to raise 50-thousand dollars by Veteran’s Day on November 11th.

If you’re interested in adopting one of their dogs, they’re holding an adoption event on November 4th at 4776 Stone Mountain Hwy Lilburn, Georgia.