At 11 years old, actor and filmmaker Justin Baldoni was gifted a Purple Heart from his veteran uncle, who had passed away.
“To get a Purple Heart is not an easy feat,” Baldoni told Campaign U.S. “It means he really had to go through something, sacrifice and display a level of bravery and strength that is often not seen. I still have it today.”
This memory is part of why Baldoni, who recently directed and starred in the film It Ends With Us, partnered with Purina during Wednesday’s New York Dog Film Festival to raise awareness for veterans treating PTSD with service dogs.
“A lot of work I do is about bringing subjects that are left in the dark or hidden away to light, and having conversations around those topics so we’re not so scared of them,” Baldoni explained. “One of the conversations that I don’t think we have enough is what’s happening to our veterans with PTSD.”
During the festival, Purina’s Dog Chow brand premiered finalist short films for the Service Dog Salute category, interviewing veterans about how service dogs improved their PTSD and mental health struggles. Baldoni selected A Dog Can Make A Difference as the category’s winning film.
Dog Chow awarded two finalist filmmakers $1,000 and the winning filmmaker $5,000 to further their filmmaking careers. Additionally, the brand will donate $5 per view of the 10-minute film to the Association of Service Dog Providers for service dog training until Veteran’s Day.
Dog Chow’s Service Dog Salute program launched in 2018 and has donated $1.4 million to service dog organizations since. Baldoni told Campaign U.S. the program aligns with his career mission to “be of service” to underserved communities through his entertainment projects.
“To acknowledge you have PTSD takes a lot of emotional bravery, following the physical bravery a veteran displays in service for our country,” Baldoni explained. “Yet only one percent of all veterans with PTSD qualify for service dogs.”
Baldoni added that he’s considering service training his own dog, Happy, as his parents grow older, explaining that he named his dog Happy to inspire positive mindsets in his own family.
This story first appeared on Campaign US.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
