Dogs That Help, a veterans’ service organization based in High Ridge, is in danger of closing up and is asking the public for help so it can continue its mission.
The nonprofit organization is run entirely by volunteers and provides service dogs to veterans and first responders in need. Lately, as the health of its founder, Luke Reinhold, has begun to deteriorate, the future of the group has become unclear and it is seeking donations to keep going.
“At Dogs That Help, we offer fully trained service dogs to veterans and first responders,” said Reinhold of Troy, Ill.,, a disabled U.S. Army veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm. “I wanted people to be in this for the right reasons, which is to help veterans and first responders, and that is why everything we do is volunteer based. Not a penny goes to a human. It’s all about the dogs and those who served.”
Reinhold, one of the group’s five board members and its chief organizer, said his health problems are forcing him to step back from some of his duties with the group and will be unable to push for funding as he has in the past. He also won’t be able to set up as many of the training sessions that are the heart and soul of Dogs That Help.
That means not only might the organization be unable to operate at the same level, but also it might be in danger of ending its services, Reinhold said.
He said Elks Lodge 2455 at 2808 Old Hunning Road in High Ridge, is a supporter and recently donated $300. It also has a collection drive underway for essential supplies for Dogs That Help, like wire kennels, stainless steel bowls, bags of Diamond brand large breed puppy food and Sprenger collars, which Reinhold called a humane way to train puppies because they simulate a mother dog’s corrective efforts.
The High Ridge and Eureka Elks clubs also plan to hold a fundraising trivia night and will announce details later, said Tammy Gorges, an officer with the High Ridge Elks Lodge.
Gorges said she is a great fan of Dogs That Help.
“My family had one of the first service dogs,” she said. “It stayed with us while my son learned to be a dog trainer. Then once it was ready, it was given to a disabled veteran. Recently, that veteran contacted Luke to tell him he is just unable to take care of the animal anymore. Luke called us to see if we wanted the dog back because it was familiar with our home. So, the dog has been returned. This is a great service that Luke does for disabled veterans and first responders. Not many organizations give away dogs for free.”
Reinhold said Dogs That Help is based at the Tom Rose Dog Training School, 6701 Antire Road, in High Ridge, which provides professional dog training, and the organization gets lots of help from the students there.
Dogs That Help offer them an opportunity to train future service dogs as part of their classroom instruction. The students do the training, and the organization provides everything else – the dog, veterinarian visits, food, training aids and more.
All those costs can add up, but Reinhold said it is worth it.
“When the students are finished, we get back a fully trained dog,” he said. “Purchasing a dog that is already fully trained to assist veterans can cost up to $15,000 or $20,000. We can usually get a dog trained for around $3,000 or $4,000. To help pay for this, we hold a lot of fundraisers.
“We take the dogs to the State Fair in Illinois, and we also rely on the generosity of businesses and establishments, such as Saucy’s Pizzeria in Hillsboro, which has been a wonderful supporter of this organization.
In the past seven years, Dogs That Help has trained 58 service dogs for disabled veterans and four for first responders. Currently, 13 more dogs are in training, Reinhold said.
The dogs include Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, and German shepherds, all donated as puppies. Training typically begins around 8 weeks old, he said.
Reinhold said Nancy Kellogg of Hawk Point breeds “champion bloodline labs” and donates the pick of her litters, usually two or three, to Dogs That Help for training. Then, Kellogg sells the rest of the dogs from her litters at a “reasonable price,” with the proceeds donated to the organization.
Reinhold said Dogs That Help has come up with two ways to try to keep the operation going.
One was to establish a “trainer on retainer” at the Tom Rose School. His daughter, Mackenzie Counts, is a head trainer there and works with the Dogs That Help service dogs for free each week.
The second was to begin asking the graduating students if they will, upon returning home, agree to provide free training for dogs for veterans in their state who contact them.
“I’ve never been told no,” Reinhold said. “We have dog trainers now operating in Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Florida and Arizona, and they all do it for free.”
As for who may use the service, Reinhold said there is no range limit.
“We go where we’re needed,” he said.
Those wishing to help Dogs That Help may make donations at the Tom Rose School or visit dogsthathelp.org and make tax-deductible donations by clicking a donation button.
The organization also has a birthday charity program to accept donations through Facebook, and it may receive a percentage of purchases made through the Amazon Smile program.
For more information email Reinhold at luke@dogsthathelp.org, call 314-223-2621 or visit the Dogs That Help Facebook page.