Sedona AZ (March 26, 2014) – Preserving the wonder of life here in the Greater Sedona Area starts with people, volunteerism and supporting those who serve and those who need our help, including our animal friends. Soldier’s Best Friend is an Arizona based non-profit organization dedicated to providing veterans living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with a trained Service or Therapeutic Companion Dog; many of these dogs are rescued from local shelters.
“Soldier’s Best Friend – Helping Our Veterans and Shelter Dogs” will be the topic at Keep Sedona Beautiful, Inc.’s Preserving the Wonder™ Speaker Series on Wednesday, April 9. Starr Ladehoff, professional dog trainer, will be the presenter.
The evening will begin at 5:30 pm with complimentary offerings of appetizers donated by El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano and refreshments provided by KSB. The presentation will begin at 5:45 pm.
In 2012, Starr Ladehoff was asked by Soldier’s Best Friend to become one of their trainers in the Prescott/Verde Valley area. A certified professional dog trainer, Starr has extensive experience working with a variety of species including marine mammals, birds of prey, and livestock and is currently a graduate student seeking a Master of Science degree in Counseling with an Equine Assisted Mental Health concentration.
Veterans and active military members accepted into the program are provided with a rescued/shelter dog and begin training with Starr for approximately 6-9 months. During training the dog lives with the veteran. There is NO cost to the veteran for placement, training and basic supplies.
Keep Sedona Beautiful welcomes the community and visitors alike to its monthly Preserving the Wonder™ Speaker Series, which takes place at its historic Pushmataha Center on 360 Brewer Road in Sedona. The Speaker Series, now held the second Wednesday each month from September to June, begins at 5:30 pm with refreshments. The series presents an interesting diversity of programs relevant to the unique environment of our region. Keep Sedona Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that, by acting through the stewardship of its members and volunteers, is committed to protecting and sustaining the unique scenic beauty and natural environment of the Greater Sedona Area. For more information about Keep Sedona Beautiful, please call 928.282.4938, or visit http://www.keepsedonabeautiful.org/.