Former Navy SEAL John Devine is giving back to other vets and saving animals through his org. ... pairing rescue animals with disabled veterans, free of charge!
The Rescue22 founder joined "TMZ Live" to talk all about his org. ... and the impact of turning rescue dogs into service animals for vets in need.
John tells us, his foundation prides itself on saving "two at a time," changing the lives of dogs and veterans ... by traveling to different shelters, training dogs and donating them to injured vets.
And, it's kind of a big deal ... many vets have PTSD, traumatic brain injuries or other medical conditions. Nearly 1,600 returned are now amputees. He says service dogs for vets can cost anywhere between $20K and $40K. So, his foundation not only saves lives but it saves them a ton of money.
We're told training dogs can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year, depending on the disability ... but it's super impactful. He notes 22 vets die by suicide per day, on average ... hence where he got the name for the org.
As a former U.S. Navy SEAL, he wants to use the skills he learned to train dogs and help others. His hope is to become "Rescue0" ... in other words, he wants to prevent the number of deaths amongst veterans and help transition back into civilian life.
He says every dollar counts and the money goes toward food, medical, training, etc. You can get more info and donate at rescue22foundation.org.