This 6,000 sq. ft. facility will hold 30 kennels and sit on 3 acres of land adjacent to the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services and serve as K9s For Warriors’ hub in the southwestern United States. The Petco Foundation K9 Center’s focus will be on saving larger, hard-to-rescue dogs by pulling them from the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services shelter. There, they will be given basic training in preparation to become a PTSD Service Dog for a veteran suffering from the invisible wounds of war.
An estimated 200 San Antonio shelter dogs are expected to work their way through the training to become PTSD Service Dogs for veterans throughout the country.
Dogs selected for the K9s For Warriors program will be tested, housed and receive initial veterinary care at the Petco Foundation K9 Center. The dogs will be transported to Ponte Vedra, Florida to receive formal training to become PTSD Service Dogs certified by Assistance Dogs International.