The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation

Pets To Patriots

When Shane (Shane Lachtman - LA Animal Alliance) approached the Foundation to fund this project it seem like a "no brainer" to all of us. Right away, we knew that this project would address and help two very different groups, but two groups that we at the Foundation care deeply about. Although very different, we believe that both these groups have not been honored or appreciated as they should be and the opportunity for the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation to do something, even if it was something small, to change that seemed very important to us.

There are 22.7 million veterans in our country and as most of us move through our lives with freedoms paid for by their efforts and sacrifice, we often forget the price these millions have paid for our privileges. There is a quote by Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, a military chaplain that says how we feel at the Foundation far better than I can.

"It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the organizer, who gave us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag. And whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag."
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC

We at the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation have chosen to fund this program to help show our appreciation to all the veterans who have given so many of us, so much; and also to honor one particular veteran who was a wonderful influence, for many years, in our personal lives. Frederick John Debus was our uncle, a Navy veteran of WWII, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserves and a weekly volunteer at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Buffalo, NY. He died last January at the age of 91. It seemed very appropriate for our Foundation to fund this grant in his memory, not only because of his patriotism and commitment to veterans, but also, because of his great love of animals. He wrote as his own memorial:

Say this of him,
That he loved animals
Don’t add that this was
A good thing or a fine tribute
Rather say that he considered
It a great gift for which
He is eternally thankful.
Frederick John Debus - In Memoriam

The other group that is a benefiting recipient of this grant are the shelter animals. As many of you here today know, we killed 108,051 adoptable animals in LA, LA County and the grater LA area because of a lack of homes. A little over a year ago the Foundation launched The Compassion Revolution and we pledged a million dollars for s/n funding and have donated another million in the last couple years to many different animal welfare issues - and we intend to move forward continuing this battle for a more compassionate and healthy community. We are firm believers, as I know Shane is too, of the truth of something Ashley Montagu said:

"The indifference, callousness and contempt that so many people exhibit toward animals is evil first because it results in great suffering in animals, and second because it results in an incalculably great impoverishment of the human spirit. All education should be directed toward the refinement of the individual's sensibilities in relation not only to one's fellow humans everywhere, but to all things whatsoever." Ashley Montagu, Anthropologist & Humanist

Many Veterans have not had an easy time on their return to the States. We?re all aware of many programs and studies, that empathize the healing effect an animal can have on the human spirit. And, as we all know, most animals in our Shelters haven't had an easy time of it either. It is our hope at the Foundation, that by making it very affordable and easy for a veteran to find and rescue a companion animal we are thanking them in one small way for all they have done; and hopefully also improving and enriching their lives, saving animals and building a stronger more compassionate community.