DL’s Patriot Assistance Dogs has trained 300 dogs for veterans

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — You’ve maybe heard the saying: We don’t deserve dogs.

And in Detroit Lakes, a special group of trained dogs is changing, even saving the lives of veterans.

The veterans come to Detroit Lakes from all over a five-state area.

Phil Krabbe, 44, and his trained dog, Cal, are inseparable.
“Good boy,” Krabbe, a U.S. Marine veteran, says Cal. “Good check-in, I’m OK.”

Krabbe, who lives in Detroit Lakes, has battled post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health issues since returning from multiple deployments to Iraq.

“I’ve dealt with suicide a lot since getting out of the military. A lot of my brothers I have served with have died by suicide and I have been to a lot of funerals, and I have dealt with it personally” Krabbe said.

This black lab has transformed his life.

“He (Cal) gave me the confidence to go out in public and live life,” Krabbe said.

Krabbe is now a mentor at Patriot Assistance Dogs in Detroit Lakes. Since 2011, staff has trained 300 dogs, often found at shelters and pounds, that have been teamed up with struggling veterans in the region.

“It means that the ’22 a day’ — 22 veterans a day nationwide die by suicide — but since we have placed the 300 dogs we have had only one suicide and that occurred in a hospital where they would not allow him to have his dog,” Linda Wiedewitsch, Patriot Assistance Dogs founder, said.

The nonprofit is always raising money. It takes nearly a half million dollars a year to keep the program running. Each dog costs about $25,000 to train start to finish.
But the impact? Priceless.

“Suicidal thoughts last 45 seconds to a minute-and-a-half and if you can divert your attention for that long, it is life saving and they (dogs) do that,” Krabbe said.

Patriot Assistance Dogs has a Purse Bingo fundraiser set for March 1 at the Detroit Lakes VFW. Call (218) 844-6003 for more information.
You can also visit their website at

https://patriotassistancedogs.com.