Naples – Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education & Experience Center will be joining forces with Home Base SWFL, a veteran and family care local non-profit founded in partnership with the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital to provide local service members, veterans and their families the opportunity to participate in Shy Wolf Sanctuary’s therapeutic Healing Hearts Program.

The collaboration is unique to Home Base SWFL’s Adventure Series Program, an initiative aimed at strengthening family bonds before, during and after military deployment. On Sunday, August 25th, Veterans enrolled in Home Base SWFL’s Adventure Series will participate in an educational encounter with Shy Wolf Sanctuary’s rescued animals that often come from abused, abandoned and neglected situations.

Home Base SWFL engages with local veterans to help them overcome the invisible wounds of war including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, co-occurring substance use disorder, military sexual trauma and family relationship challenges.

During the Healing Hearts Program, participants will be introduced to Shy Wolf Sanctuary’s rescued resident animals that often come from abused, abandoned and neglected situations. Participants are taken through an animal encounter that becomes a therapeutic setting, where they open up to experience forgiveness, courage, and unconditional love. Following the encounter, Home Base SWFL veterans will assist in a hands-on volunteer project to enhance the fox and coyote habitats.

“Often times people are emotionally blocked by a traumatic experience in their past. By relating to our resident animals and experiencing the unconditional love, Healing Hearts participants can overcome personal struggles,” said Deanna Deppen, Shy Wolf Sanctuary’s executive director.

In the future, Home Base SWFL and Shy Wolf Sanctuary will invite the family members of Veterans to participate, offering them a special way to reconnect and restore relationships through the unique bond that is formed with animal therapy.

“Only through generous partnerships with local businesses and non-profits, is Home Base SWFL able to host our Adventure Series activities. We are very grateful to Shy Wolf Sanctuary for this fun, unique opportunity to bring veterans and families together to experience the therapeutic benefits of animals and collective healing,” said Armando Hernandez, Home Base SWFL Program Director and United States Marine Corps veteran.

About Shy Wolf Sanctuary
Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education and Experience Center was founded in Golden Gate Estates, in 1993. In January 2001, Shy Wolf was formalized as a nonprofit organization with the goal of educating people in addition to helping more animals in need. We are county, state and federally licensed and inspected by Collier County Domestic Animal Services, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture. We are primarily volunteer run and donor supported. For more information, visit www.ShyWolfSanctuary.org.

About Home Base

Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, is dedicated to healing the invisible wounds for Veterans, Service Members and their Families through world-class clinical care, wellness, education and research. As a National Center of Excellence, Home Base operates the largest private-sector clinic in the nation devoted to healing invisible wounds such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, co-occurring substance use disorder, military sexual trauma and family relationship challenges.

Since its inception in 2014, Home Base Southwest Florida has leveraged the vast cutting-edge research and expertise in sports medicine and clinical care of the parent program in Boston. To date, Home Base and Home Base Southwest Florida has served more than 21,000 Veterans and Family members with care and support, provided over 74,000 on-line and in-person training sessions to clinicians, educators, first responders and community members nationally, and remains at the forefront of discovering new treatments -- ensuring a brighter future for the 21st century warrior and military family. For more information about Home Base Southwest Florida, please visit www.homebase.org/florida.