This past weekend, American Dog Rescue founder Arthur E. Benjamin had the opportunity to attend a very special graduation ceremony at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, as more than 20 dogs were certified to move on into their lives of dedicated service.

UNC-Wilmington’s specialized program, in cooperation with paws4people, is the only one of its kind in the nation. The 4-year special training sets students apart as they pursue jobs in recreation therapy and education. They even get their very own service dog to take with them into their post-graduation careers.

Arthur was also recently named chairman of the paws4people advisory board. The paws4people and paws4vets programs help many people in need – from disabled children to injured war veterans – to get the service and companion animals they need to live life more normally.

“The positive impacts dogs have on the lives of their humans is well documented,” Arthur said. “But when a companion or service dog is placed with one of these disabled young people or one of our many deserving military heroes, the bond is even stronger and the impact even more profound. We encourage all American Dog Rescue supporters to join us in our enthusiastic endorsement of paws4people and paws4vets.”