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Melissa Hortman's work with nonprofit Helping Paws
The Hortmans worked with local nonprofit, Helping Paws, to help train service dogs for veterans. FOX 9's Maury Glover has more.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minnesota House of Representatives bill is aiming to deliver a one-time appropriation of $200,000 to Helping Paws, an organization that places service or facility dogs for people who need them, in honor of slain Rep. Melissa Hortman.
READ MORE: Hortmans trained service dogs for veterans at local nonprofit
Bill to donate $200K to Helping Paws
Big picture view:
The House Health Finance Committee discussed bipartisan efforts to pass legislation that would honor Hortman's memory with a $200,000 appropriation to Helping Paws.
Helping Paws breeds, trains, and places service or facility dogs with people living with physical disabilities as well as veterans and first responders living with service-related post-traumatic stress disorder. The organization also places dogs with professionals in courthouse, educational, and mental health settings.
The bill was laid over by the committee for future consideration in a health budget package.
READ MORE: Graduating with Paw-nors: Service dogs to help people with disabilities
Dig deeper:
Helping Paws says the Hortmans began volunteering with the nonprofit in 2014, when their daughter signed up to train a service dog named Minnie.
The nonprofit says the Hortmans had such a positive experience with Minnie, that Melissa decided to train another service dog, Gilbert.
But when he didn't graduate from the training program, the Hortmans adopted him, making him a member of their family, until he was gravely injured in the same attack that killed Melissa and Mark and had to be euthanized.
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Helping Paws service dogs show off skills at the fair
For the past 25 years, Helping Paws has been training service dogs to help those with disabilities and our veterans and first responders with PTSD. This year, a few of the dogs showed off their skills at the Pet Pavilion at the Minnesota State Fair.
What they're saying:
Rep. Robert Bierman (DFL-Apple Valley) shared the following statement:
"Melissa and Mark had a deep and genuine passion for giving back. They dedicated so much of their lives to lifting others up; through their work with Helping Paws, their support for first responders and veterans living with PTSD, and their commitment to Minnesotans with physical disabilities. It is a powerful testament to the extraordinary selflessness and spirit of service the Hortmans lived every day."
The backstory:
Rep. Hortman and her husband Mark, along with their dog, Gilbert, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14, 2025. The suspect also shot and injured Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette in their Champlin home.
The suspect was indicted on several charges, including murder, and has pleaded not guilty.
The Source: This story uses information shared in a news release from the Minnesota House of Representatives and previous FOX 9 reporting.