Solid Gold Pet Partners with Warrior Canine Connection

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Oct. 28, 2014 - PRLog -- Solid Gold Pet, America’s first holistic pet food, and the Solid Gold Foundation have developed an exclusive alliance with Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), a national non-profit organization that enlists recovering Warriors in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.

“We are proud to be a part of Warrior Canine Connection’s efforts to support Warriors and their families through the healing power of dogs,” said Michelle Higdon, CEO and Managing Member of Solid Gold Pet. “As curators of the highest quality of natural ingredients for pet food, we believe that good nutrition can change the lives of pets and that pets can change the lives of others too, so the alliance was a natural fit."

Founded in 2011, WCC helps combat Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) through a therapeutic service dog training program. Training service dogs for fellow Veterans with disabilities provides a valuable opportunity for Warriors recovering from psychological injuries to reintegrate into civilian life. Working with Golden and Labrador Retrievers specially bred for health and temperament, Warrior Trainers must train the dogs to be comfortable and confident in all environments. In teaching the dogs that the world is a safe place, the Warrior Trainers challenge their symptoms of combat stress.

“Warrior Canine Connection is honored to receive this generous support from Solid Gold Pet and Solid Gold Foundation,” said Rick Yount, WCC founder and executive director. “Solid Gold Pet produces a premium product with an excellent reputation for quality and taste. Our partnership with Solid Gold will help to ensure the health of our dogs and their success as the lifetime companions of Veterans with disabilities. The generous financial donation from Solid Gold Foundation will aid us as we expand our programs and services to more recovering Warriors.”

Solid Gold Pet will provide dog food, treats, and supplements to all of the service dogs at WCC’s program sites including their headquarters in Brookeville, Maryland and at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, the Department of Defense’s facility dedicated to advancing the diagnosis, clinical care, and research of TBI and psychological health conditions for Service Members.

Other WCC program sites include the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the VA Medical Center in Menlo Park, California, Fort Belvoir Warrior Transition Brigade, in Fort Belvoir, Virginia and the NeuroRestorative Residential Treatment Center in Germantown, Maryland.

About Warrior Canine Connection

Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is a pioneering organization that utilizes clinically based Canine Connection Therapy to help wounded Warriors reconnect with life, their families, their communities, and each other.  A 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, WCC is dedicated to empowering returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of PTSD and TBI, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, help in reintegrating back into their families and communities, and a potential career path as a service dog trainer. Warrior Canine Connection is headquartered in Brookeville, Maryland. For more information about WCC, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.

About Solid Gold Pet Foundation

Established in 2005, the Solid Gold Foundation is a private non-profit organization that supports causes devoted to helping pets live healthier lives.  In February 2014, the Solid Gold Foundation changed its name to Heart of Gold Legacy Foundation. The Foundation is headquartered in El Cajon, California.

About Solid Gold Pet, LLC

Founded in 1974 in San Diego, California by a devoted pet lover, Sissy McGill, Solid Gold Pet is America’s first holistic pet food for dogs and cats. Free of chemical preservatives, Solid G​old pet food is created from the highest quality of all-natural ingredients and is available for pets of all sizes, life stages, and diets.

Earlier this year, the company was honored with the 2014 Natural Choice Award for Best Natural Pet Food by WholeFoods Magazine. Each year, WholeFoods Magazine Natural Choice Awards recognizes companies who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to excellence in the natural foods industry. Award recipients, across all market segments in 18 different categories, are selected by WholeFoods Magazine readers and industry retailers. Solid Gold was the only winner in the pet care category.

Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Solid Gold’s extensive line of holistic pet products also includes nutritional supplements, treats, and topical products. For more information, visit www.solidgoldpet.com.

(L-R) Michelle Higdon, CEO and Managing Member of Sold Gold Pet, Sissy McGill, Founder of Solid Gold Pet, Patty Kennedy, COO of Warrior Canine Connection, Teresita Bacani, President of Solid Gold Foundation, Marshall Peters, former Navy Hospital Corpsman and Service Dog Training Program Instructor, and Lundy, Warrior Canine Connection service dog in training