Pawsitive Love Foundation

10/27/2021

Meet Kevin and his PLF-K9 Jaxx. Thank you for your service, Kevin. Jaxx has your six, so you can keep looking ahead to better days.

Your support makes this possible. Your support enables Veterans to live a better life, each and every day.

06/24/2021

Double Phoenix Jiu Jitsu / Lucas Lepri Virginia offering BJJ and boxing school for adult BJJ and kids BJJ in Sterling BJJ VA near Ashburn VA and Reston VA. Sign up for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes today!

09/24/2020

Welcome Mike and his new partner PLFK9 Blue to the family. We are grateful to The Creamery of Blue Mountain Beach for their support in making this team possible. Blue will assist Mike in many ways to face the world with the same bravery with which he served our great country. Don't sweat the small stuff (which we all know is really big stuff), Mike, Blue has got your back!

It has been a strange year for certain, but our mission continues and carries on with the great supporters in our community. With your continued support, we will

03/14/2020

Go get some ice cream! Thank you Blue Mountain Creamery for supporting PLF!

🤙👊

📷: Scott A.

02/19/2020

Podcast from our visit to 93.2 FM / 1260 AM

http://podcast.newsradio1620.com/post/6250/Steve_Kotowske_-_Executive_Director_of_the_Pawsitive_Love_Foundation.html

02/13/2020

Getting ready to go ON AIR... tune in! 10am. 92.3 FM

01/30/2020

01/30/2020

Huge CONGRATULATIONS to the team of Greg and PLF K9 Truman for passing their 3rd and final test! The hard work you put in to become a team has really paid off. Truman has proven his skills as a Service Dog by assisting Greg in many ways, without being asked. He has also shown exemplary behavior. Greg has proven his ability to "use" his dog's skillset, to properly communicate with him, and to care for him.

01/23/2020

In order to have a properly trained Service Dog for TBI and/or PTSD, plus mobility assistance it takes hard work - not an online certificate or a simple obedience class. Our veterans learn how to use their dogs in order to function in the real world. Keep on showing love to these teams as they inch nearer to graduation!

01/23/2020

When you support PLF, you are helping Veterans get back to living productive lives. Help us buy a cup of coffee for a Veteran, so we can train them to use their properly trained Service Dog!

We can make a difference ONE CUP AT A TIME!

01/22/2020

Recertifying this team today... having a Service Dog means having accountability in keeping up your training. We recertify our placed dogs every year! Congratulations to Rob and Liberty Belle. Great work as a team!

01/17/2020

Living life... real Service Dog training with What's Up Dog? Santa Rosa Beach.

01/03/2020

Greg and PLF K9 "Truman". Training at What's Up Dog? Santa Rosa Beach...

01/02/2020

These teams are performing quite well for a bunch of newbies. Wish them luck on their journey to having new freedom in their lives! A properly trained Service Dog is a game changer.

12/29/2019

The end of the year is upon us. Holidays are nearly over. This is good for MANY people, but is especially true for a lot of our Veterans who have suffered loss; this is often the toughest time of year for them.

Would you consider donating to the cause of giving life, today. Your gift, one time or monthly - small or large - goes directly to providing properly trained Service Dogs for Veterans who need them most. It seems unimaginable that 22 US Veterans take their own life every single day, yet it is true. You can save a life today by donating.

We do the hard part of acquiring the right dog, properly training it for about a year, and then training the handler how to use the dog to keep them going. The studies all show this works.

There is no paid staff at PLF, and the dogs are placed at NO COST to those receiving them. It is a gift of life. Be part of something amazing by joining our mission.

www.plfservicedogs.com

12/26/2019

Tom and Tharian working on their teamwork through obedience under distractions. Great job today!

12/20/2019

Lots of training today at What's Up Dog? Santa Rosa Beach. 5 different Service Dogs in various stages of training for several different disabilities. Your support makes this possible. Thank you!

12/11/2019

Bill Would Fine Pet Owners Up To $500 For Misrepresenting Service Dogs

Bill Would Fine Pet Owners Up To $500 For Misrepresenting Service Dogs

The bill debated at the Statehousee Tuesday would make it a civil infraction to knowingly misrepresent a dog as a service dog.

12/10/2019

So much YES!

11/17/2019

Sign up to volunteer... www.plfservicedogs.com

I noticed how much volunteering was helping with my anxiety and stress, and there’s science to back it up.

11/13/2019

SAVE AN AMERICAN HEROEvery day Combat Wounded Veterans are reintroduced back into society. The wounds they suffer are often physical, like a missing limb, or some type of disfugurement. These wounds are easily recognized by those around them. These wounds make them a hero in ...

11/13/2019

What it looks like to meet your new PLF K9... Truman and his new human, Greg. The journey begins!

11/12/2019

The 2020 Best in Destin in going on now. Please take the time to nominate me, between October 1 to 20, 2019 and vote for me between November 11 and 30, 2019. Thank you for your support.

11/11/2019

We salute our Veterans today, and every day. Thank you for your service to bring us freedom, to make us and the world a safer place. Happy Veteran's Day.

11/10/2019

Service Dogs are not Travel Companions, they are Battle Buddies - Life Partners. Respect our Veterans, and others with true needs for a Service Dog.

11/09/2019

Our "Bred for Purpose" program brings good health, temperament, and working drives to the Service Dog community. We are proudly supplying well-bred dogs with the highest training standards to our Veterans. This gives an advantage to our handlers by knowing the genetics, projected lifespan, and workability. Plus, we know the upbringing and care from puppy to placement.

These beauties are a mother/daughters - PLF K9 Liberty Belle with Lucy and Sadie. Thank you to the Fry family for providing a loving home to Lucy, and the other Fry family for sharing Sadie for play time! Fosters make a difference. Ask us how YOU can become a foster for our program.

11/09/2019

PLF K9 Stryker.... living his best life, giving his best life.

11/07/2019

Speaking with a Veteran this morning who says she is no longer "broken", she is HEALING! This is 2 conversations like this in as many weeks with 2 different Veterans. If you have any doubt about the efficacy of a Service Dog, a real Service Dog that provides more than emotional support, read that first line again. We are not in the emotional support business, we are in the LIFE SAVING business. "Helping with anxiety" is not enough; healing from it is the goal.

Your support IS SAVING LIVES and healing people! Please, don't stop supporting. A monthly or a one time gift is a gift of LIFE to someone. Thank you for being part of our mission.

11/06/2019

Spent the morning educating students at Northwest Florida State College today. Thank you, Alicia Cavaco and PLF-K9 Murphy, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for the invitation. It was amazing to see so many students wanting to learn about real Service Dogs. PLF-K9 Truman was a hit, getting to soak up some serious love before starting his new journey with his handler.

11/04/2019

10/17/2019

When you give to Pawsitive Love Foundation, you give to help others. With the growing number of Veterans suffering from "Invisible Wounds" along with physical disabilities, the need for properly trained Service Dogs is on the rise.

Our dogs aren't simply trained companion animals that "help" with anxiety from PTSD... any dog can do that. That is an emotional support animal (and can include a hamster or a bird). We train SERVICE ANIMALS. They are actually individually trained dogs that make living a normal life possible for many men and women.

They lead people away from stressors, they block spaces - watch the back, without being told to do so; they are actually trained to react to a change in body chemistry to assist their handler through stressful situations. They offer physical support through balance, bracing, assisting with stairs, and picking things up. They restore hope of a normal life through assisting with assimilation. They are adaptable.

Next time you grab a coffee from the local shop, or run into the grocery store - think about this post... there is likely a lonely spouse of a Veteran inside that store, hoping their husband would just park and come inside. The truth is, they can't. It is too much stimulus. It is too much pressure. It may bring too much pain.

You CAN help. You tax-deductible gift goes directly towards the cost of purchasing/raising/training/outfitting a Service Dog. We start with properly bred dogs with good genetics and working drives - without troubled pasts. They have a clean slate for optimum training and performance ability. They train for over a year in OUR FACILITY before being placed. The handler then goes through a rigorous program of training that can take months to complete. We train at the highest standards. We have raised the bar.

You CAN be part of restoring hope and saving lives. You CAN be part of the difference. Youbcan help put REAL Service Dogs to work in your community. Your gift, in any amount, makes a difference. We are currently building a new training center, and need your support. The faster we raise the funds, the more lives are saved; 22 Veterans take their life every single day. Staggering numbers, right? Please Help. Give today.

We also help children with Autism and Epilepsy. Your support helps them live a more normal life. Our high standards are applied to individual client Service Dogs, as well. Your giving helps keep their costs down. A properly trained Service Dog typically costs $30-40k. We can keep our costs much lower for individuals in need, with your support. Please help someone today.

10/17/2019

Sometimes, you just need to pet your dog...

10/15/2019

Agoraphobia:

Fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment.
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that often develops after one or more panic attacks.

Service Dog:

A dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

Pawsitive Love Foundation:

See our Mission Statement... https://www.pawsitivelovefoundation.org/our-vision

10/09/2019

Man and dog. Both are smiling. Marinate on that for a moment.

10/08/2019

I had the pleasure of meeting Ernest "Ernie" Andrus over the weekend. Ernie is a WWII Veteran, of which you see very few these days. He has run across America once already, and is doing it again from coast to coast.

I picked up a few copies of his book "Bare Feet to Running Shoes". It tells his life story, and is a great read. Ernie signed my copies, graciously, and I'd like to offer one to you.

As a fundraiser, I'd like to take open bids to win a copy of his signed book. The bidding will open at $20, the cost of the book. Bidding will close on Friday evening 10/11/19. Write bid in COMMENTS.

10/01/2019

CONGRATULATIONS are in order! Won't you join us in the celebration.

SGT Chris Hileman, US Army, EOD, Ret. got a new "leash" on life. Chris and PLF K9 Stryker completed all coursework and testing to be recognized as a Service Dog team. Best of luck on your trip back to Virginia. Much love from our team of sponsors, volunteers, caregivers, and trainers. What's Up Dog? Santa Rosa Beach

09/25/2019

We say this often, not very many dogs can do the work to be a true Service Dog. We rarely have a washout, but that is the case with FORCE. She is a wonderful young female, but just doesn't offer what we need for our program.

She a Lab/Aussie mix that tested well as a puppy, but is not going to make it through the program. She is kind, sweet has lots of exposure training, and extensive obedience training. She will make a fantastic pet!

She was born December 4, 2018, making her about 9-months old. She has been with us and one of our fosters since around 12-weeks old. She is offered up for adoption to the right home. She will be spayed before leaving our care.

Adoption is by donation to the program - which covers all of her care and training to date, along with her spay...plus a one-time enrollment in our 6-week GROUP CLASS to help you with transitioning. We are asking for a minimum donation of $1,000 to cover some of our expenses. If you are interested in this sweet girl, message us right here. We will send you an application link after speaking with you.

We will make appointments to interview prospective new homes.

09/25/2019

We had a great time with training... thanks to Bass Pro Shops for the use of their facility at Destin Commons, Destin, Florida.

Great job by all of these teams...

Training with our program is perpetual. Graduation only means you become a mentor to the new teams. We have a system that involves a lifeline - a network of mentoring and accountability. Our APP keeps out teams connected with laws at hand, a system of support, and access to training.

Support our mission to save lives.