Jones Foster celebrates Veterans Appreciation Month with donation to Paws 4 Liberty
Jones Foster’s Steven J. Rothman, far right, stands with Paws 4 Liberty veteran graduates, from the left, William and his dog, Reese; and Robert and his dog, Gunnar; and Executive Director Heidi Spirazza with her dog, Ezra; and Head Trainer Mycaela McCorry with the organization’s demo service dog, Zara Blue.
Jones Foster celebrated Florida’s inaugural Veterans Appreciation Month by honoring Lake Worth-based nonprofit Paws 4 Liberty.
The month of recognition celebrating the achievements and sacrifices of veterans was signed into Florida law this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jones Foster made a monetary donation through the firm’s community involvement program, Jones Foster Impact.
Paws 4 Liberty is dedicated to helping local veterans in Palm Beach County and the surrounding areas who suffer from issues with physical and/or psychological trauma “regain their independence and confidence through the assistance of trained service dogs who improve the quality of life.”
“I am honored to be a Jupiter native and being able to share with other locals…I am humbled by the support and appreciation our community has offered us,” said Heidi Spirazza, the P4L executive director who founded the organization following the events of 9/11.
“Heidi, it’s very admirable that you started this organization to help our veterans,” said Steven J. Rothman, a Jones Foster shareholder. “We want to make a financial contribution to this amazing organization for all the good work you’re doing for the veterans and their animals.”
Rothman said Veterans Day is a “tremendously important holiday to honor the service that you’ve given to our country to ensure our freedom and our safety. We thank you for that, we thank all the veterans for that.
On Veteran’s Day, Jones Foster invited the P4L representatives along with veterans and service dog graduates for an afternoon luncheon at its West Palm Beach office. The event was an opportunity to learn more about the organization’s programming, its impact to the community, the experiences of local veterans during their military service, and how they have benefitted from the P4L service dog training program.
Attending as honorees were Robert, a former U.S. Army paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and his dog, Gunnar; Roy, a U.S. Marine infantryman who served in Afghanistan and his dog, Koda; and William, a U.S. Army 7th Infantry ID M60 gunner, and his dog Reese.
P4L head trainer Mycaela McCorry explained the individualized approach that the veterans and their service animals receive allows veterans to share the details about the symptoms they experience on a bad day, which is critical for tailoring their dog’s training.
“When our veterans are going through a panic attack or an anxiety attack, they may know it’s not real, but their body is still physically reacting,” McCorry said.
The dogs are trained in a deep-pressure therapy technique to help their owners when they are experiencing anxiety, a panic attack, or a depressive episode.
“When those pressure points are activated and that dog – which is [like] a big, fuzzy weighted blanket – lays across those pressure points, it actually creates a grounding response in the [person’s] brain,” McCorry explained during a demonstration with service dog Zara Blue.
P4L offers continued support and training to a veteran and their dog for life through follow-up calls and routine visits.
