4th annual pup crawl raises awareness for veterans looking for a well-trained life buddy

OKAUCHEE, Wis (CBS58) – On Sunday, April 21, dog owners and veterans participated in a different kind of pub crawl in Waukesha County. It was a pup crawl, and it was all for a good cause.

"I think it's the one aspect in this country that we can all agree on, we all love dogs," said BJ Ganem, Founder of Sierra Delta.

Smoke on the Water in Okauchee hosted its fourth annual pup crawl.

"It's a dog walk for veterans, we raise awareness for Sierra Delta, we also raise money to get dogs trained for servicemen and service women," Joe Hennes, Owner of Smoke On The Water explained.

Sierra Delta stands for 'Service and Dogs.' Ganem says less than one percent of military veterans need an ADA compliant service dog, most veterans just need a well-trained life buddy.

"They can help veterans reestablish that sense of team and give them that sense of being a squad leader again," said Ganem.

Retired Marine Corps First Sergeant, Timothy La Sage, says having a service dog changed his life when he got back from his service.

"I was wounded in combat twice, bedridden, had amnesia was in a bad spot and having this dog... it's amazing. It's been a great reason to get out of bed and make sure I get out of bed the next day as well," La Sage explained.

La Sage recommends veterans get a service dog, as a form of therapy and company.

"It's impossible to have a bad day when you have these little faces snuggling on you or asking for you for attention or to get outside. Those are all things you need too, and it's all based on love," said La Sage.

Hennes says he does events like these to raise awareness for veteran issues in the community.

"I've had dear friend that have served and some of those friends like BJ lost his leg in Iraq some of their friends of friends have lost their life they paid the ultimate price, so we try to plant seeds in our communities."

If you would like to donate or learn more about Sierra Delta, click here.