She is a celebrity dog trainer, a New York Times bestselling author and her exclusive The Loved Dog Day Care is part of NorthStar Moving’s luxury services. There are so many reasons to be a fan of Tamar Geller, but this month we honor her as someone who moves and inspires us through her work with Operation Heroes & Hounds™.
Operation Heroes & Hounds saves dogs from local animal shelters that have been labeled “unadoptable” and are on “doggy death row.” These rescued dogs, that are craving affection and attention, are then paired with war veterans who are having trouble adjusting to civilian life, either because of injuries or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Like many veterans, physical scars and emotional anxieties make it difficult for these dogs to recover from the traumas they have gone through, including the stress of ending up in a shelter. Operation Heroes & Hounds allows wounded and disabled veterans to train these dogs through The Loved Dog Method, Tamar’s mindful and nurturing approach to dog training based on teaching the dogs life skills (instead of blindly obeying command), and it’s all done through play and games. Both the ex-service members and the shelter dogs rehabilitate together and experience transformations that help heal their emotional wounds while gaining new life skills, making them more comfortable and at ease in social situations.
As a former intelligence officer in the Israeli Special Forces, Tamar understands first-hand the challenges of being a veteran. Using proceeds from The Loved Dog Center, Tamar Geller established the Operation Heroes & Hounds program in 2007 with the objective to aid injured members of the United States military suffering from physical and non-visible wounds by working with shelter dogs. The dogs of Operation Heroes & Hounds live free of charge at The Loved Dog Center and are trained until they find their forever homes. Tamar Geller believes that by working together, both veterans and the shelter dogs learn how to trust themselves and others. The training process and Loved Dog Method also result in the improvement of their relationships, communication skills and has proven to put the smiles back on veterans’ faces.
As we approach the 4th of July and prepare to celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s independence, take the opportunity to thank our injured veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. Support the organization Operation Heroes & Hounds which has endeavored to improve the quality of these veterans’ lives, while at the same time, has also saved dogs that were once deemed untrainable and faced euthanasia. Here is what you can do to help:
- Spread the word; follow @TheLovedDog and share this story on your social media.