Wild adopts Labrador Retriever puppy for 2019-20 season

ST. PAUL -- The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild today announced it has adopted Breezer, a 12-week-old Labrador Retriever rescue dog from
Coco's Heart Dog Rescue
, on a one-year training contract. Breezer will be raised to become a future service dog.
Wild President Matt Majka and his wife, Kym, will foster Breezer and help facilitate basic obedience training until the summer of 2020. Following his tenure with the Wild, Breezer will pursue a career training with
Soldier's 6
, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Minnesota that provides honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and fire fighters with specially trained K-9's.

"We are extremely ecstatic to have Breezer join the Wild organization," Majka said. "The work Coco's Heart Dog Rescue and Soldier's 6 do is truly amazing, and we couldn't imagine a better way to give back to the community than to have a part in helping Breezer find a home with a deserving individual."
At the conclusion of his specialized training, Breezer will be permanently placed with a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a "Battle Buddy" and will help guide them through the difficult days in life.
"We're grateful to both Coco's Heart Dog Rescue and Soldier's 6 for their collaboration in this unique opportunity," said Wayne Petersen, Minnesota Wild Director of Community Relations and Hockey Partnerships. "We're very excited to help support these two organizations and look forward to Breezer making many new friends along the way."
Breezer will be featured at the Wild booth at the Minnesota State Fair on the following dates: Monday, August 26 from 2-3 p.m., Wednesday, August 28 from 10-11 a.m. and Friday, August 30 from 10-11 a.m. All dates and times are subject to change.
During the 2019-20 season, Breezer will be a frequent visitor at the Wild offices in St. Paul and attend most Wild home games. He will also occasionally attend Wild practices. Fans can follow Breezer's journey with the Wild by following him on
Instagram
and

and at
wild.com/breezer
.
Coco's Heart Dog Rescue is a primarily volunteer-driven organization that welcomes dogs to rescue from unfortunate situations and houses them in volunteer foster homes while preparing them for adoption placement. Coco's Heart Dog Rescue focuses on evaluating each dog's needs, provide high quality veterinary care, and work towards finding them a lifelong match with an adoption placement. Additionally, Coco's Heart Dog Rescue strives to educate its community on the importance of rescue, our specific rescue efforts, responsible pet ownership, and the difference each person can make on the lives of dogs in need. For more information about Coco's Heart Dog Rescue, visit
www.cocosheartdogrescue.org
and follow them on
Facebook
and
Instagram
.
Soldier's 6's mission is to provide honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and fire fighters with specially trained K-9's. These special dogs will become their Battle Buddy and help guide them through the difficult days in life. The name Soldier's 6 was chosen because that is what a service dog has, its Battle Buddy's 6 (or back). For more information about Soldier's 6, visit
www.soldiers6.com
and follow them on
Facebook
and
Instagram
.