A local veteran will be the recipient of a newly trained service dog as a result of a generous donation by the Delaware State Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

At the Spring State Conference held at the Children’s Beach House in Lewes, DSSDAR State Regent Barbara A. Boyd Seningen presented a check for $25,250 to Canines Assisting Service Heroes. The organization, founded by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 850, provides fully trained service dogs to honorably discharged Delaware veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma.  Service dogs are trained and certified by Riedel K-9. It costs about $25,000 to train one service dog.

“When I started this fundraising project for C.A.S.H., my goal was to raise $10,000,” said Seningen. “Because of the generous contributions of Delaware Daughters, I was able to double that original goal very quickly. Interest continued to grow, even drawing the attention of DAR members across the country. Today, we were able to donate over $25,000 to C.A.S.H.”

Accepting the check on behalf of C.A.S.H. was Ray Harris, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 850, who was accompanied by his dog, Kilo, and Elizabeth, a veteran with Cash, a seasoned service dog. It can take up to 18 months to train a dog, many of whom are rescue animals. C.A.S.H. provides veteran recipients with a loyal companion to help them with everyday life and a veterinary care plan. 

For many veterans, the service dogs are a critical lifeline – even warning the owner of an impending seizure or drop in blood sugar, for example.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Today’s DAR is dynamic and diverse, with more than 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. More than 1 million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890.