NEW YORK, Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Camp Bow Wow, the premier doggy day and overnight camp franchise and an Inc 5000 company, in conjunction with its nonprofit organization, the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, announces the launch of "Scout's Angels." This philanthropic initiative will bring specially trained service dogs to the Newtown, CT community. Freedom Service Dogs will be accompanied by therapists from the world-renowned Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver.

The eight person team will spend up to two weeks in the Newtown community comforting and helping the survivors and their families deal with the horrible tragedy of December 14, 2012.  The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is lending a paw by fundraising through its 150 pet care franchises, Camp Bow Wow and Home Buddies, to also help Freedom Service Dogs train two to four service pups that will reside in the Newtown community for years to come.

"This will certainly be a long, difficult road to recovery and our hope is that the dogs will spend time with trained therapists in the schools, with first responders, at community events and with the families that lost loved ones in this tragedy," said Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow. "We will work diligently to raise all funds necessary to cover the cost of the project for the children of Newtown!"

Camp Bow Wow is accepting donations to the "Scout's Angels" project between December 20, 2012 and January 15, 2013 via the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation website, or at any Camp Bow Wow and Home Buddies location. The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation will also be matching funds dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 of the total funds raised in 2012-2013.

For additional information about Camp Bow Wow, Home Buddies, Behavior Buddies, or the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation,  please visit: www.campbowwow.com, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

About Camp Bow Wow®
Where a dog can be a dog®
In just 12 years, Camp Bow Wow, the premier doggy daycare and overnight camp, has grown to include over 150 locations across North America, becoming a $60 million business. The company was recently ranked 214 out of 500 in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list for 2012 and was the 447^th fastest growing private company on the INC magazine 500 for 2009 list. The Camp concept provides the highest levels of fun, safety and service for its campers, and peace of mind for their parents. Dogs romp together in an open-play environment and pricing is all-inclusive.  Services include Bow Wow Behavior Buddies, an in-home dog training program, which launched in May 2010.  Since the Boulder, Colorado-based Company started franchising in 2003, Camp Bow Wow has sold more than 200 franchises in 39 states, plus one in Canada, over 41% being women-owned. As Camp Bow Wow grows, our simple philosophy remains the same: It's all about the dogs.

Camp Bow Wow has three core-components, including:

• Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow - in home care
• The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation - non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives and health of dogs everywhere, through supporting foster and -homing programs, spay and neuter efforts, disaster assistance, canine cancer research, animal welfare education and shelter improvements.
• Behavior Buddies – training component to Camp Bow Wow

The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation^®
Bettering the lives of our furry friends
The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives and health of dogs everywhere, through supporting foster and re-homing programs, spay and neuter efforts, disaster assistance, canine cancer research, animal welfare education and shelter improvements. Inspired by her passion for dogs and desire to give back to the communities that made Camp Bow Wow so successful, Camp Bow Wow CEO and founder, Heidi Ganahl, established The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation in 2007.

SOURCE Camp Bow Wow