The Dennis W. Zelinski II Memorial Fund continues to help our troops once an American veteran gets home and has to fight his own personal battles.

(Photo courtesy of Dennis W. Zilinski II Foundation)
(Photo courtesy of Dennis W. Zilinski II Foundation)
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The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund is proud to announce the graduation of two more of its sponsored service dogs. Duke, a black Lab mix, and Aries, a German Shepard mix, both rescue dogs, graduated from a three-week training program along with their respective disabled American veterans (one from NJ) Thursday at K9s For Warriors’ training facility.

The cost of the service dogs’ training was funded by the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund in honor of Army Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II, a Middletown, New Jersey, resident and graduate of Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey, who was killed in action by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005. His parents, Marion and Dennis Zilinski, Co-Founders and Board Members of the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund, were on hand for the graduation ceremony.

Aries was paired with a disabled American veteran from New Jersey. (The veteran’s name and hometown are not being released at this time.)

The Zilinski Memorial Fund helps veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) who need these highly trained service dogs to overcome their struggles. They want our disabled American veterans to know there is help, and the Zilinski Fund is there to help them get it.

Dennis Zilinski says, "Making the adjustment back to civilian life is difficult for many of our service members. The Zilinski Memorial Fund is proud to help them make that transition with the support they need. This program saves the lives of shelter dogs and the lives of our disabled American veterans."

K9s For Warriors says they could not exist without the incredible generosity of foundations like the Zilinski Memorial Fund to help save the lives of disabled American heroes.

K9s For Warriors’ mission is to end veteran suicide. They are the nation’s largest provider of Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury and/or Military Sexual Trauma. Their program is unique, comprehensive, and proven, thanks to groundbreaking research. The majority of their Service Dogs come from high-kill shelters, which means that with each warrior-K9 pairing, two lives are saved. Join their 2020 campaign to end veteran suicide: 20 Is A Name, Not A Number. Find more information HERE.

The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund was created and founded in 2006 to honor local hero Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005. The twenty-three-year-old was a Middletown resident, a Christian Brothers Academy alumnus, and a distinguished West Point graduate. Dennis was a member of the 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division. Since his untimely death, family and friends have united with the Memorial Fund to provide support to improve the morale and welfare of members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.

One of the main accomplishments of the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund is sponsoring service dogs for disabled American veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI. To date, the Memorial Fund has sponsored more than 100 service dogs at a sponsorship of $15,000 per service dog.

Additionally, the Memorial Fund provides scholarships to students at Lt. Zilinski’s alma mater, Christian Brothers Academy and Trinity Hall High School.. By providing these scholarships, the Memorial Fund invests in the future of high school students who embody the leadership qualities and community spirit of Lt. Zilinski.

To make a donation or learn more about how you can support this incredible non-profit, CLICK HERE.

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