Item Description:
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Recognizing the Impact of Helping Paws and the Hortman Family on Hennepin County – offered by Commissioner Edelson
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WHEREAS, in September 2023, the Hennepin County Board adopted a Board Action Request authored by Commissioner Anderson recognizing September as National Service Dog Month in Hennepin County; and
WHEREAS, service dogs provide vital assistance to people with disabilities, including individuals with physical disabilities and veterans and first responders experiencing service-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and are individually trained to perform tasks directly related to a person’s disability; and
WHEREAS, Helping Paws, a nonprofit organization based in Eden Prairie, works to further people's independence and quality of life through the use of highly trained assistance dogs; and
WHEREAS, Helping Paws trains and places assistance dogs to serve individuals with physical disabilities, veterans and first responders experiencing service-related PTSD, and professionals who work with facility dogs in settings including healthcare, education, and the justice system; and
WHEREAS, training and matching an assistance dog requires approximately two and a half years, thousands of volunteer hours, and an investment of approximately $40,000, with volunteers and host homes providing essential training, socialization, care, and support throughout the process; and
WHEREAS, Melissa Hortman served communities in Anoka and Hennepin counties for more than two decades as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and, together with her husband, Mark, and their family, volunteered with Helping Paws to help raise and train assistance dogs; and
WHEREAS, the Hortman family helped raise and train Minnie, a Helping Paws dog who today works alongside a veteran, and later welcomed Gilbert, a golden retriever who had trained in the Helping Paws program, as a beloved member of their family; and
WHEREAS, following the deaths of Meli...
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