Tuesday February 18, 2025
Durham nonprofit that pairs military veterans with therapy dogs will be honored by the North Carolina Peace Corps Association at a ceremony in Raleigh on March 1
The North Carolina Peace Corps Association (NCPCA) has awarded its annual North Carolina Peace Prize to Vets to Vets United, Inc., a Durham-based nonprofit organization that uses therapy dogs to help military veterans deal with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries and other challenges resulting from their service.
The program also reduces the number of animals euthanized at animal shelters in North Carolina, which has one of the highest euthanasia rates in the country.
NCPCA will formally present the award at a ceremony during Peace Corps Week at 3 p.m., March 1, at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church’s Finlator Hall in Raleigh.
“Our organization of returned Peace Corps Volunteers understands what it means to serve our country overseas and then return home with challenges other Americans may not understand,” said NCPCA President Jennifer Chow, who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia. “Although our own experiences were different, we admire and are proud to honor Vets to Vets for its impressive work helping military veterans with PTSD and other conditions.”
Vets to Vets serves U.S. military veterans who are lonely, suffering from depression or diagnosed with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries or physical disabilities. It unites them with companion, therapeutic and service dogs from local shelters and rescue organizations at no cost. It provides free training for veterans and their dogs, which receive care from local veterinarians for free or at significantly reduced cost throughout their lives.
Vets to Vets also organizes fun and educational animal-related tours and activities, participates in community service projects and conducts animal visits to local veteran transitional housing facilities.
Dr. Terry Morris, D.V.M., Ph.D., a Durham native, founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2012 to honor her father, Capt. Willis C. Morris, a Tuskegee B-52 bomber pilot who was killed during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The dogs help veterans relax and feel safety and unconditional acceptance. They may also be trained to help their handlers perform tasks they cannot perform on their own, such as removing clothing or opening doors. Veterans enrolled in the program learn how to train their service dogs, which encourages their interaction with other veterans facing similar challenges, easing social isolation.
“I served in Vietnam for a year and returned to an ungrateful society and the burdens and memories that come with the experience,” said Dan Portaro, a U.S. Army veteran. “I brought the war home with me and had a lot of anxiety. It got so bad that I nearly injured myself and my wife.”
Vets to Vets connected Portaro with a female beagle/boxer mix named Bailey, with whom he completed a free two-year training program.
“I can honestly say that were it not for this program I doubt I would be here writing you today,” Portaro stated in a letter recommending Vets to Vets for the Peace Prize. “This is a much-needed and vital service that is helping veterans every day.”
The prize includes a $2,000 check and a hand-thrown vase. Established in 1998, the annual award recognizes small North Carolina community-based, nonprofit groups that honor the values of the Peace Corps: helping people to help themselves and promoting peace and cross-cultural understanding.
NCPCA awarded the prize last year to Arts Access, a Raleigh nonprofit that makes the arts accessible to people with disabilities across the state. A complete list of previous awardees is at www.ncpeacecorps.org/peace-prize.
“Our organization is improving and saving lives, one veteran and one dog at a time,” said Dr. Morris, who continues to serve as executive director for Vets to Vets. “We are grateful to all of the veterinarians, dog trainers, volunteers and donors who have enabled us to enhance the lives of our fellow North Carolinians who served their country. Peace Corps Volunteers share this spirit of service, so it means a lot to us to be recognized by them.”
