War veteran raising money to help veterans in Saskatchewan heal

For many soldiers returning home, the effects of war are visible psychologicallyand can even become debilitating.

In Humboldt, Sask., Andy McAnally decided he wanted to do more to help veterans heal.

"It kind of hit home when I was hearing all these stories about guys coming home from Afghanistan and having a lot of mental issues," McAnally said.

"And then when I started to dig into it, we actually had more Canadian service men and women who took their own lives."

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The numbersMcAnally found were shocking. More servicemen died because of suicide than had been killed on the battlefield.

For McAnally, these results became personal. He is an ex-serviceman and knew that something needed to be done. He decided to host a fundraiser to raise money to buy service dogs for veterans to help with their healing process.

In his research, McAnallyheard about a network that connects veterans with service dogs, called Paws.

"It's been brought to our attention that there are at least five Saskatchewan veterans that would require one of these dogs."

The fundraiser takes place tonight at 8 p.m. CST in Humboldt.

McAnally said that he hopes to raise about $50,000. Each service dog costs about $10,000 but he would be happy if he could help even one veteran.

Tickets for the banquet are already sold out, but seats are still available for the entertainment portion of the show.