Helping Veterans One Paw at a Time

With Veterans Day next week, I had my annual chat with Brian Reyngoudt, Co-Founder and Vice President of Operation K9 Beethoven. He along with Arpi Kertesz started an organization with a small vision. Before they knew it, it turned into a bigger and better mission than they could have ever imagined.

Operation K9 Beethoven is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization EIN: 87-1417235 that utilizes Psychiatric Service Dogs to promote health, hope, and healing. Their Psychiatric Service Dog Program rescues
dogs from euthanasia and provides Veterans who suffer from PTSD, depression, and other mental health issues with rescued, basic obedience-trained Psychiatric Service Dogs at no charge. This includes a kennel, bed, blanket, leash, collar, bowls, dog food, treats, and toys.

Their Pet Therapy Dog Program spreads joy and love by visiting Veterans’ homes, rehabilitation centers, schools, hospitals, and more with specially trained and certified Pet Therapy Dogs. They provide dogs at no cost to the recipient, including a welcome-home package.

It all started when Reyngoudt and Kertesz met in January 2020. Reyngoudt's family was donating kennels to Kertesz and started to discuss helping Veterans by bringing Kertesz's personal Certified Therapy Dog "Beethoven" to visit the local Veterans Home. From that moment on, Kertesz and Reyngoudt became great friends. Kertesz began visiting the Veterans' Home with Reyngoudt, guiding, and helping him spread Beethoven's love. It began with the simple thought of bringing the happiness, joy, and love of animals to Veterans unable to have a pet of their own. Kertesz and Beethoven embarked on a journey that changed their lives and continues to do so.

During Suicide Awareness Month in September 2020, Kertesz asked a Marine Corps Veteran to help with creating a video to spread and bring awareness to Veterans' Suicide. His friend, a veteran with PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety who was hospitalized due to a suicide attempt, was more than willing to do his part to help.

He was asked what he hoped would come from this video, and he replied, "I want to spread awareness to the families of Veterans about the signs of Suicide, and I'd like to see every Veteran that suffers from mental health issues receive an Emotional Support Dog free of charge." That statement caused a spark, which turned into a raging inferno in Kertesz's heart and mind. Kertesz contacted his dog trainer to obtain more knowledge about training rescue dogs to be Emotional Support Dogs for our Heroes.

Each dog selected for entry into Operation K9 Beethoven's Program is fully vetted, temperament-tested, and socialized with dogs, cats, children, and adults to ensure they will be a good fit for their program. They are then transported to their trainer for obedience and leash training.

Once training is complete, they're transported to their Fur-Ever Hero. The dogs from the Rescues are given a second chance at life and can then help Veterans and First Responders get the love, and support they deserve. What started as one man and his dog (Kertesz and Beethoven) working toward helping bring love and joy to Veterans has now become the organization known as Operation K9 Beethoven committed to helping Veterans, and First Responders, "One Paw At A Time."

Check out their website here, and listen to the interview with Brian Reyngoudt here…

There's something truly special about having a close relationship with your pet. They say a dog is "man's best friend," and it's totally accurate. I have friends and family who truly feel like their pets are a member of the family. Pets will be there for you through thick and thin. Pets are also know for being loyal, which can be a really good feeling in this world. So, what are the most popular dogs right now?

Danspetcare.com has a great article out that names the most popular dogs in the world right now. In it, they describe that special relationship that one has with their pet. "From hunting to sled-pulling to herding and protection, dogs have helped us survive and thrive in countless ways," they explain. "One of the most important roles dogs play in our lives is companionship."

So, what do you do if you're in the market for a new dog? Danspetcare.com has some good advice on how to pick the right breed. They explain that finding the right breed is a big part of that decision. So, ask yourself, do you want a delicate breed or a more meaty, masculine breed? Also, what's the purpose of you wanting a pet? Do you want a pet for protection, or are you looking for a small buddy for some companionship?

Either way, when you're in the market for a new pet, make sure to have lots of questions and ask the right people before settling on your little guy or gal. I remember one of my friends buying the cutest little puppy ever only to see it grow into a huge dog that was almost too big for her apartment. She loved him, but it was quite a surprise. Read on to discover the most popular dogs right now and some more stats. Find more via Danspetcare.com here

According to Danspetcare.com, the most popular dog in the world is the Labrador Retriever. "They’re often used to provide comfort and reassurance for anxious humans," the study says. So true. No. 2 are Golden Retrievers and No. 3 are German Shepherds. Find more via Danspetcare.com here.

Dogpackapp.com has an article out about the most popular dog breeds right now. No. 1 on the list is the French bulldog. Those dogs are adorable, right? No. 2 is the Labrador Retriever and No. 3 is the Golden Retriever. Very popular, of course. Find the full list here.

What about the most common dogs? According to A-z-animals.com, No. 1, again are Labrador Retrievers, followed by Bulldogs and Rottweiler. The German Shepherd and Dachshund round out the top five. Find the full list here.

What if you want a small pup? The smallest dog breed, according to Forbes.com is the Pomeranian at 3-7 pounds. So cute. It's followed by the Toy Poodle and Toy Fox Terrier. Find the full list here.

What if you want a really big dog? According to Forbes.com, the largest dog breed is the Mastiff at 120-230 pounds. It's followed by the Boerboel and Tosa Inu. Find the full list here.