Meet the 1,000th Warrior & Service Dog Team!
Celebrating every pairing that paved the way.
Your support has brought us so far. Thanks to friends like you, our March 2024 class of graduating Warriors reached a major milestone — 1,000 Warriors paired with lifesaving Service Dogs!
Ryan, our 1,000th Warrior, says his connection with his Service Dog, Frankie, is what’s most special to him.
"He’s already changed my life. I already feel different,” he says. “I already feel like he was meant for me before he was born.”
Ryan spent more than 20 years in the Army Reserve, and in his public life, he says he suffered in silence. No one who knew him as a dad or coach knew how much he struggled with the effects of PTSD, anxiety and depression.
He didn’t realize the toll it was taking until he experienced a trigger response at work. After five months of sick leave, Ryan knew he needed a new tool in his mental health toolbox. That’s where K9s For Warriors entered the picture.
Ryan says it was hard just getting up from the couch each day, let alone dealing with doctors to fill out paperwork. But he pushed forward, and now he’s on a new path to healing and hope. Even Ryan’s wife says he now looks happier.
Ryan can feel the incredible impact of your generosity — and your compassion.
“You can tell that every one of the 1,000 has been loved by this organization, by the people here, the donations,” he says.
When Ryan was first accepted to the program, he had a four-year wait. But thanks to generous donors like you, we’ve been able to expand our program and train more Service Dogs faster, cutting his wait time in half.
It took us 13 years to reach our first 1,000 pairings. With your continued support, we’ll reach our next 1,000 Warriors even faster.
