How Shari Duval’s love for her son sparked a movement that has saved more than 1,200 Veterans, rescued over 2,500 dogs…and counting.
When Shari Duval’s son Brett — a civilian K9 police bomb dog handler who served in Iraq — returned home, she could see that he had changed.
Like so many who serve our country, Brett came home carrying the invisible wounds of war. He was living with PTSD, struggling to transition and readjust to civilian life in a world that suddenly felt unfamiliar. Shari watched her son fight a battle she couldn’t see… one that far too many Veterans face alone.
But in the midst of that struggle, she noticed something powerful.
When Brett was with his dog, he changed, and there was a sense of calm and a connection. That bond would become the spark her son desperately needed.
Determined to help her son and other Veterans, Shari turned her love into action. With no roadmap and no guarantee of success, she began working out of her home garage, using her own resources to pair rescue dogs with Veterans in need. What started as one mother’s mission quickly became something much bigger.
“The military teaches our Veterans how to go to war, but these kids are not being taught how to come home,” Shari said. “Our mission is to save their lives. Our mission is to get them back into civilian life with dignity and independence. They deserve that.” Shari exclaimed, during a TEDx presentation in 2017.
In 2011, K9s For Warriors officially launched its first class, pairing just eight Warriors with Service Dogs in that inaugural year. Fifteen years later, that small but mighty beginning has grown into a national movement.
Today, K9s For Warriors has:
- Paired more than 1,200 Veterans with life-saving Service Dogs
- Rescued over 2,500 dogs, giving them a second chance and a new purpose
- Restored countless families, helping Veterans reclaim their independence, confidence and hope
Shari wasn’t just a founder…she was an advocate in every sense of the word. She understood that healing doesn’t happen in isolation, and that behind every Warrior is a family member, friend or loved one who stands beside them carrying the weight, holding onto hope and fighting for brighter days ahead.
That belief is now at the heart of K9s For Warriors. Saving lives at both ends of the leash – not just for Veterans and dogs, but for the families who walk this journey with them.
Sadly, we lost Shari to cancer in February 2021, but her spirit is still felt in every corner of the organization. And as we celebrate 15 years of K9s For Warriors, we reflect on just how far her vision has come.
But if Shari were here today, she would challenge us to think bigger, reach farther and save more lives. And while we are proud of how far we’ve come, we know there is still so much work to be done.
