PLEASANTON, CA — (Marketwired – March 27, 2015) – One out of every eight returning soldiers suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, less than half of veterans with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) seek help, mostly out of fear of being disparaged.
Lindsey Stanek, the co-founder and CEO of Paws and StripesT, learned firsthand what it was like to live with someone who struggled with PTSD and TBI when her husband Jim returned home after his third tour of duty in Iraq. After months of therapy, Lindsey realized that nothing comforted Jim as much as being in the presence of a therapy dog.
After learning how difficult (and incredibly expensive) it was for veterans to qualify for most service dog programs, Lindsey and Jim founded Paws and Stripes. The nonprofit organization rescues unwanted dogs from kill shelters, trains them and pairs them with wounded U.S. military veterans at little or no cost. Their efforts were documented on Dogs of War, a television show that aired on A&E Network last November.
“As I watched the first episode of Dogs of War, with tears sliding down my face, I thought about not only the Veterans in my family, but those across the country,” said Danielle Cook, Corporate Responsibility Officer at Visioneer. “It was then that I knew Paws and Stripes was going to be the next beneficiary of our Where There Is a Need program. Lindsey, Jim and his dog Sarge are not only changing lives for the better, but they are creating a much needed awareness of what life is like for veterans who struggle to complete everyday tasks.”
According to Paws and Stripes, the usual costs of getting a service dog are great: from $10,000 to $30,000 and sometimes up to $60,000, and would often include countless months seeking grant money to fund the purchase. The cost to complete canine training for a Paws and StripesT veteran and dog team is funded by Paws and Stripes through donations. The veterans are never obligated to pay a penny for successfully completing the program. Paws and Stripes will be Visioneer’s beneficiary for Q2.
About Where There Is A Need
Where There Is A Need is a philanthropic program that helps nonprofit organizations across the globe that provide assistance to people and places in need. For every customer who registers a Visioneer or Xerox® DocuMate® scanner, Visioneer will donate $1 to an international disaster relief, cause, or environmental program each quarter on their behalf. Both Visioneer and our customers can now have a direct impact on helping individuals in need around the world.
“The goal of Where There Is A Need is to embrace responsibility for our company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through our activities on the people that develop, manufacture and sell our products, the businesses and families that use our products, and the communities and environment we all live and work in,” added Cook. “It is our goal that Visioneer’s social responsibility is not merely words on our website, but a fundamental part of how we conduct our business, make decisions, and set our priorities.”
How Our Customers Can Help
Customers can easily register their scanner at www.visioneer.com or www.xeroxscanners.com clicking on the “Register Your Product” link, and filling out a short form. Registering a new scanner will also keep customers current on special product offerings, tips on how to best use their scanner, driver updates, and to receive all warranty benefits. To keep up with the current need that is being helped each quarter by this program, visit www.visioneer.com/wheretheresaneed or follow us on Facebook.
About Paws and Stripes
Nonprofit Paws and StripesT provides service dogs for wounded U.S. military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. The dogs come only from shelters, and highly trained service dog trainers work with the veteran/dog teams. We believe in training the veterans and dogs together. For more information, please visit them online or follow our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About Visioneer
Visioneer, Inc., a leader in scanner and document management solutions, offers a broad range of digital imaging hardware products for the desktop, distributed and departmental markets as well as the mobile and remote business scanning segments. In 2003, Visioneer combined its leading scanner technology with the Xerox brand recognition to develop the Xerox® DocuMate® product line. Visioneer and Xerox DocuMate high-performance business scanners and imaging software solutions offer users speed, image quality, advanced paper handling and ease-of-use with exclusive Visioneer OneTouch® technology. For additional information please visit Visioneer and Xerox scanning solutions. For open commentary and industry perspectives visit Facebook or Twitter.
