Project 2 Heal

In July, Project 2 Heal had to replace our 20-year-old air conditioning unit to ensure the 7 litters of puppies we'll be housing in August stay cool and comfortable during the peak of this hot North Carolina summer. While this was an essential replacement, it was an unforeseen expense and wasn't included in our 2022 budget. (Anyone who's ever had to replace an A/C unit knows it isn't something you do unless it's absolutely necessary!)

With more than 30 puppies expected under our roof for the remainder of the summer, we could really use help to offset the cost of replacing the unit. Your assistance will allow us to dedicate more of the donations we received earlier this year toward the work of nurturing and training these puppies before donating them to service dog organizations across the country.

Read if you're new to Project 2 Heal:

Our mission is to reduce the cost and time needed to place a service dog with a veteran, child with special needs, or adult with disabilities. We accomplish this by breeding, nurturing, socializing, and training Labrador Retriever puppies, which we donate to carefully selected service dog organizations nationwide.

For seven years, Project 2 Heal was a self-funded labor of love run by Charlie and Sandy Petrizzo, working to fix a major problem within the service dog industry. The issue is that most service dog organizations have no breeding program, typically leaving no choice but to train dogs taken from shelters. Unfortunately, less than 10% of shelter dogs become successful service dogs, leading to costs of $25,000—$35,000 and waiting periods of up to 4 years.

(For a veteran struggling with PTSD and at risk of suicide, that's far too long to wait.)

In 2011, it became apparent that the need for our work was so great that Project 2 Heal became a registered 501c3 nonprofit. (The only of its kind in the country.) Utilizing an innovative approach involving outstanding Labrador Retriever pedigrees and scientifically based research, Project 2 Heal breeds puppies, nurtures them using proven development methods, and donates them to service dog organizations in need.

Since our founding, we've donated over 500 puppies to service dog organizations nationwide. We're proud to say that 75% of our puppies become service dogs for veterans, children with special needs, and adults with disabilities.

Learn More about Project 2 Heal: