Service Dog Yardley Area Family Helping Alpha Bravo Canine Find New Home

Nicky Christopher has held fundraisers for Alpha Bravo Canine in Lower Makefield Township for three years. The organization now needs a new home. (Alpha Bravo Canine)

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —For three years every April, Sara and Nicky Christopher have held an Alpha Bravo Canine fundraiser to help provide support dogs for U.S. military veterans.
But now the Christophers are trying to help Alpha Bravo Canine on another front: trying to find a new home for the non-profit charity organization.

Sara Christopher told Patch that Alpha Bravo is being pushed out of its Newtown training space by the end of the month due to rising rent. The organization is involved in raising, training, and donating service dogs to veterans living with PTSD, TBI, and combat disability.

"After seven long years in our current indoor location, we are being pushed out with a 650 percent monthly rent increase (not a typo) with an additional 3 percent every year after that," Alpha Bravo said. "We will not let this change how and what we do every day. We are a group of incredibly dedicated people who want to change a veteran’s life with the assistance of their service dog."

So Nicky Christopher —known as the Birthday Lawn Bandit for coming up with the fundraiser four years ago —decided to offer his support by sending an email to U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.

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"I’m reaching out because Alpha Bravo Canine, the nonprofit that trains and donates service dogs to veterans, is having some problems," Christopher said. "They’re being forced out of their current facility, and it’s making it hard for them to continue."

"As someone who has worked with them and seen the life-changing impact they make, I can’t imagine seeing such an important organization struggle like this. I wanted to ask if there’s anything you can do to help—whether it’s connecting them with resources, finding a new space, or lending your voice to their cause," Christopher said.

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The fundraisers at the Garden of Reflection in Lower Makefield Township have helped provide a support dog for a veteran.
The April fundraiser by the Christophers and Nicky's best friend Ben Ruepp helped raise $29,511.46 to benefit Alpha Bravo Canine.

"We are incredibly grateful to work with such amazing people and come together as a community to make a difference in a veteran's life," ABC Founder Jennifer Green said. "Service dogs are life-changing. We are so thankful to have Nicky and Ben and all of our amazing student volunteers be such a big part of this event. We are humbled by it all."
Alpha Bravo Canine said it hopes to find a new training home in the Yardley-Newtown-New Hope area as a long-term permanent space that is ground floor (accessible) open space with easy parking.

"We need space to train and have our dog training equipment along with storage of our merchandise," Alpha Bravo canine said.

"Our commitment has always been to donate all of our services and that will not change," Alpha Bravo said. The only thing that is changing is our indoor location, nothing else. Our commitment to our veterans remains the same. Alpha Bravo Canine Will continue to do business as we always do. We will improvise, we will get through this, and we will come out even stronger. We will train in our temporary space for now," Alpha Bravo said.