SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Susan Aimes and I first met at a Chamber of Commerce event, and I was extremely impressed by what she was doing. The following is an interview that I did with her and one of her dogs that she is training.

Susan and her son Dustin had for years been interested in rescuing dogs that were going to be euthanized.  Her son also wanted to be in the service and be there for his country. In 2021 her son, while in the service, passed away unexpectedly and after the initial grief, Susan decided to fulfill the dream that they both had. 

Susan and her daughter started Stars & Stripes Dog Rescue, a non-profit. They wanted to do this for Dustin and for the veterans that are many times overlooked. Susan acquires medium and large dogs from both Stockton and Modesto pounds as they have an abundance of dogs that are going to be put down. Most people prefer the smaller canines.

They then train these dogs to be companion dogs and after they are trained and certified, they are donated to veterans that need these animals for comfort and companionship. If the dogs have the right temperament, they are then trained to be service dogs and donated to veterans who need this level of help.

Susan and her daughter have now started a foster program, where veterans can obtain a dog and learn to train it by themselves, using online guidance. This is done in such a way that there is little or no stress on either the veteran or the dog. Susan and her daughter have been working with the Veterans Administration on this project.

For the Stars & Stripes Dog Rescue to have a larger impact, they need more volunteers to assist in the training and more donations to provide the medical care and other provisions for both the dog and the veterans. Every cent of the donations goes to the dogs and veterans.

You can make your donations or for more information to the website: https://starsandstripesdogrescue.org or https://www.facebook.com/starsandstripesrescue

Email address: [email protected]