Harold Siegfried and Phelan

by Bill White of The Morning Call

Harold Siegfried was volunteering at ArtsQuest’s Christkindlmarkt two years ago, accompanied by his service dog, Phelan. Siegfried and Phelan were brought together by Tails of Valor, Paws of Honor, a nonprofit program that trains service dogs to interact with and become companions for veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and physical disabilities.

All the dogs, rescued from area animal shelters as puppies and trained for on average 18 months, are named for military personnel who were killed in action or who committed suicide after returning home. Phelan was named for Lt. Col. Mark Phelan, who was killed in 2004 by a car bomb in Iraq. A man who was visiting from East Norriton, Montgomery County, approached Siegfried that day and asked about his dog, a black Lab mix. Siegfried began telling him about the program and that each dog was named for a fallen serviceman or servicewoman. When he told the man that his dog was named after Lt. Col. Mark Phelan, the man dropped to his knees and began crying.

“What did I say?” Siegfried asked the man’s wife.

“That was his brother,” she replied.

Tails of Valor’s brief history is full of emotional stories.

The puppies typically are 8 weeks old when they enter the program, and they undergo training that becomes specific to the veteran they’re paired with.

The fact that the dogs are named after fallen soldiers also has helped some of their family members with healing.

If you’re interested in helping financially or volunteering, go to the Tails of Valor website at www.tailsofvalor.org or call 267-733-7294.