ABOUT
Mission Wags
Mission Wags has come together to unite veterans whom upon returning home from war suffer with PTSD and/or TBI with an appropriate dog, and to provide all of the training, equipment and support for the dog to become the veterans service dog, companion or ESA at NO COST to the veteran. The goal is to take away the struggle the veterans face with everyday life. Programs, events and activities within the community are also organized and available for Veterans and families.
Mission Wags is a much-needed non-profit Veterans organization in Northeast Ohio, The Cleveland VA is one of the largest in the country and we have a HUGE Veteran based population here in Ohio. One of the biggest issues our Veterans today face is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or what we like to call the invisible wounds. These brave Men & Woman join the military and leave their families behind to fight unselfishly for our country and see and do things many of us can’t even imagine then when they are lucky enough to come home one of the hardest challenges can be to adjust back to regular everyday life (civilian life) Many Veterans isolate themselves, feeling like they don’t fit in or they aren’t sure how to even start to readjust. It’s hard not only on the Veterans but also for the families.
That is where Mission Wags comes in, we are not only a Service Dog organization but also a support system for the Veterans AND their families! We have been where they are, we have felt everything that they are feeling and we as a group can show them that they are not alone. We meet with and get to know each Veteran coming into the program and place them with an appropriate rescue dog (rescuing one to rescue the other) that best suits their personality, lifestyle and what the needs will be with the dog. Once matched the Veteran and rescue dog start their training, whether its service dog training, basic training for a companion dog or an emotional support dog. It is a big commitment for the Veteran to make and they attend classes throughout the week at our main training center. Our training facility is only open to Veterans and their families, therefore everyone there understands PTSD and TBI and everyone always feels at ease and welcome in classes. It is a HUGE benefit for the Veteran to be involved and do the training with their Dog, The Veteran and dog learn to trust and rely on each other, and the Veteran is the one who gets the fulfillment of teaching each task and command to their dog
Mission Wags also understands how expensive training can be and we want ALL of our veterans to be able to heal without the worry of financial burden, so we cover ALL costs including the adoption fees of the rescue dog, the training, initial vaccinations, All equipment (such as crate, collar, leash, treat pouch, clicker etc..) all treats for training classes, we cover the expenses of all of the public access training outings ( including restaurants, coffee shops, etc..) and in some cases if there is a hardship we can provide dog food and gas gift cards to come to training classes.
We serve EVERY generation of Veterans, No one left behind!