2010 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 10-031 BY SENATOR(S) Newell, Bacon, Boyd, Brophy, Cadman, Carroll M., Foster, Gibbs, Harvey, Heath, Hodge, Hudak, Johnston, Keller, Kester, King K., Kopp, Lundberg, Mitchell, Morse, Penry, Renfroe, Romer, Sandoval, Scheffel, Schultheis, Schwartz, Shaffer B., Spence, Steadman, Tapia, Tochtrop, White, Whitehead, Williams; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Rice, Acree, Apuan, Balmer, Baumgardner, Benefield, Bradford, Casso, Court, Curry, DelGrosso, Ferrandino, Fischer, Frangas, Gagliardi, Gardner B., Gardner C., Gerou, Hullinghorst, Judd, Kagan, Kefalas, Kerr A., Kerr J., King S., Labuda, Lambert, Levy, Liston, Looper, Massey, May, McCann, McFadyen, McKinley, McNulty, Merrifield, Middleton, Miklosi, Murray, Nikkel, Pace, Peniston, Pommer, Primavera, Priola, Riesberg, Roberts, Ryden, Scanlan, Schafer S., Sonnenberg, Soper, Stephens, Summers, Swalm, Tipton, Todd, Tyler, Vaad, Waller, Weissmann, Carroll T. CONCERNING RECOGNITION OF THE FREEDOM SERVICE DOGS PROGRAM. WHEREAS, Founded in 1987, Freedom Service Dogs (FSD) is a Colorado-based nonprofit that specially trains dogs rescued from shelters and pairs them with disabled military service members and other individuals who are physically disabled; and WHEREAS, Since the organization's founding in 1987, FSD's custom-trained service dogs have assisted more than 150 individuals in their day-to-day activities and have provided their human companions with a greater degree of independence; and WHEREAS, Freedom Service Dogs are essential companions, trained to handle life tasks that are no longer possible for service members whose tours of duty have left their bodies impaired and their physical freedoms restricted and who are now transitioning into civilian life; and WHEREAS, Clients of FSD have included disabled service members returning from Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gulf conflicts, and Vietnam; and WHEREAS, As battlefield survival rates and lifesaving medical techniques continue to improve, the number of wounded United States service members returning home unable to walk on their own or manage even the most basic physical activities is expected to increase significantly; and WHEREAS, Freedom Service Dogs are trained to assist with tasks within and outside of the home, such as assisting their companions in finding keys, switching on lights, and providing stability and aid in movement for individuals with traumatic brain injuries, prosthetic limbs, or debilitating spinal cord injuries; and WHEREAS, Freedom Service Dogs also provide both comfort to and a social bridge for their companions, as research shows that individuals suffering from mobility impairments or post-traumatic stress disorder exhibit higher rates of depression and social isolation; and WHEREAS, Freedom Service Dogs are "soldiers" in their own right, identified and rescued by FSD and trained to serve; and WHEREAS, Once a dog enters the FSD program, the dog is task-trained and specifically matched to a client whose particular needs the dog is able to fulfill; it takes a smart, stable, resourceful, and gentle dog to become a Freedom Service Dog, as each dog becomes a vital extension of the client; and WHEREAS, FSD also boasts a 100% success rate in placing adoptable dogs that do not become service animals with happy adoptive homes; and WHEREAS, FSD also manages the Pawsitive Connections program, a pilot program begun in 2008 that focuses on character development in troubled and at-risk children and youth through the effective use of the human-animal connection; and WHEREAS, Pawsitive Connections has touched the lives of over 200 at-risk youth in the Denver metropolitan area and hopes to serve 500 youth during the course of the pilot program; now, therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein: That we, the members of the General Assembly: (1) Commend Freedom Service Dogs in its dedication to meeting the burgeoning needs of disabled service members returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan through its Operation Freedom program, in partnership with the United States Veterans Administration; (2) Salute FSD's dedicated cadre of volunteers, whose time and talents are utilized daily, and the many organizations and shelters across the community that work with FSD to help fulfill its mission; and (3) Recognize the positive impact that companion animals have on the everyday lives of their clients and encourage FSD to continue to expand its programs to meet the diverse needs of the populations it serves. Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Governor Bill R. Ritter, Jr.; General Eric Shinseki, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Major General David G. Perkins, Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson; Command Sergeant Major Daniel A. Dailey, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson; Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Grantham, Battalion Commander, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Carson; Command Sergeant Major James Bunch, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Carson; Major Michael Ciaramella, Executive Officer, Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Carson; Janice S. Jacobs, Director, Denver Regional Office, United States Department of Veterans Affairs; William "Bill" Conroy, Director, Division of Veterans Affairs in the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Freedom Service Dogs, Inc.; Corey Hudson, President, Assistance Dogs International; Jim Woodward, Mayor, Englewood, Colorado; Paul W. Scott, Ballard Spahr LLP; and Colleen Abdoulah, CEO/President, WOW! Internet. ____________________________ ____________________________ Brandon C. Shaffer Terrance D. Carroll PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Karen Goldman Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES