10.01.2015 10:32 AM

I need your help to help the Royal Canadian Legion

A friend of mine has been strenuously advocating for Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Funds – to help veterans with Post Tramautic Stress Injury, and to get them a specially-trained therapeutic service dog. You can read all about it, and help him, here.

8 Comments

  1. Todd Robdon says:

    I served with the UN in Yugoslavia in 1994. 1RCR CANBAT1 Croatia. I have never felt attached or part of the RCL. Perhaps it is a generational thing or perhaps the fact that most members of the RCL right now never actually served or served in a combat theatre? Either way, the RCL is antiquated and doesn’t represent modern day vets. Part of me wouldn’t expect RCL members to grasp the needs of a soldier with PTSD or the modern day treatment of it. My opinion only.

  2. Pipes says:

    Todd you nailed it! I am a RCL member and you are right on! Thank you

    • Pipes says:

      By-the-way, RCL apparently raised about $14,000,000 in Poppy Funds and I suppose that is publicly donated money to be used to assist veterans. About $3.5 million is supposed to be set aside to help vets with PTSD in Canada. Most ‘Provincial Commands’ refuse to implement the funding. As an aside it is Post Traumatic Stress Injury which is job related and really not a disorder.

  3. tom paine says:

    a well trained ptsd service dog runs around 25.000 dollars and they are hard to come by. it would take years to set up a good program but just try and get funding. nada.

    • Pipes says:

      Courageous Companions and MSAR train and certify the best dogs in Canada for FREE to veterans and first responders. The RCL Dominion Command allows 25% of Poppy Funds to be used for funding these dogs from each of their RCL Branches. Last year RCL’s raised, through their Poppy Campaign about $14,000,000 and 25% of that is $3,500,000 available for service dogs, but the Provincial Commands are making vets wait for up to two years and probably longer for the Government to implement a national service dog standard. The RCL Provincial Commands have interim permission to fund these dogs and they wont do it. I think it is rife with politics and meanwhile our veterans are suffering. The RCL is a disgrace to allow this to happen and their National Body-Dominion Command allows the RCL Provincial Commands to de regulate policy.

      Meanwhile we, the donating public, go about our busy days, wearing poppies in November, thinking how marvelous the Legion is and the veterans with PTSI, wonder if they will be alive by the end of each day. I won’t be donating to or wearing a Poppy until they-the RCL-meets their obligation to these forgotten veterans.

      By-the-way, the National Service Dog Standard is being constructed by the Canadian General Standards Board and they haven’t even met yet and are still discussing committee membership. Standards have been talked about since the 1980’s.

      It feels like no one gives a shit about our veterans with PTSI and other operational injuries. They need immediate help-the money is there, but the Ontario RCL Provincial Command isn’t and they use the lack of a service dog standard as an excuse. Everyone in their right mind supports the formation of the standard, that’s not the issue. The issue is there is interim funding available for veterans, while we wait 2 years or more for the standard. We already have excellent service dog trainers and certifiers in Canada and in fact we may already have the highest standard in the world and Ontario Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion, sits on their arse.

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