Paying it Forward: Service Dog to Station Dog
“I think she senses it — dogs can, right?” said Atlantic Beach Chief of Police Victor Gualilo of Station Dog C4. “You’re not having a good day, and they just want to be around you. They want to be a part of your next five minutes.”
C4, a therapy dog donated by K9s For Warriors to Atlantic Beach Police Department, has become the unofficial greeter to all those who enter the station’s doors. As soon as she sees a new face, her entire body lights up with anticipation. Her tail alone is a force of nature.
I Almost Lost Her
“He gave me back the person I fell in love with,” Yesenia said fondly of her wife’s Service Dog, Hoosier AHEPA.
Before her deployment with the U.S. Army, Natalie was once bubbly and social — the life of the party. But upon her return home, she felt lost.
“As soon as the uniform came off, I was a mess,” Natalie sighed.
A Mom with MST: “It Took So Much Energy to Exist”
“As a mom, you feel like you have to cry in the shower or hide in the pantry,” Navy veteran Aurora remembers keeping her darkest days from her family.
She had survived military sexual trauma. She told herself she could survive this.
No One Serves Alone — The K9s For Warriors Station Dog Program
Nearly 37% of EMS personnel and firefighters have considered suicide — a rate ten times greater than non-first responders.
A K9s For Warriors Station Dog can change that.
A New Normal: Living With TBI
“The day I had to resign from my position was the day we did a fire drill and I forgot a classroom,” said Army veteran Eli.
Army veteran Eli lives with the daily reminders of his service, suffering from PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Paws For Change: The K9s For Warriors Prison Program
“The dog didn’t ask him why he was in jail or what he had been arrested for,” Montgomery Correctional Center K9 Coordinator Lisa Harrell said. “He said he felt loved and accepted for the first time in a long time, and that came from the dog.”
On December 15, 2021, K9s For Warriors partnered with the Montgomery Correctional Center to present the inaugural Paws For Change graduating class.
Lost & Found: Roxie’s Road to Service
“We’re all in the business of second chances,” said Carly Braun, former K9s For Warriors veterinary technician. “When the Warriors get here, they’re shaky and nervous — even detoxing sometimes. Usually, the person we see on that day is not the one we see on graduation day, and the same thing goes for the dogs.”
“Not Broken Enough”: Allowing Myself to Heal
After 16 years of service in the military, in 2016, my husband was medically retired due to physical injuries, hearing loss, a TBI and PTSD. While he served in the military, he deployed overseas 4 times; was away often for multiple field missions, he trained with the National Guard for overseas missions (which involved a lot of travel to different states), and having to attend many funeral details. While serving his tours overseas, my husband fought many battles, and was forced to face death repeatedly, more than anyone should ever have too.
Lost in Trauma: An Army Veteran’s Road to Recovery and Reclamation
After 16 years of service in the military, in 2016, my husband was medically retired due to physical injuries, hearing loss, a TBI and PTSD. While he served in the military, he deployed overseas 4 times; was away often for multiple field missions, he trained with the National Guard for overseas missions (which involved a lot of travel to different states), and having to attend many funeral details. While serving his tours overseas, my husband fought many battles, and was forced to face death repeatedly, more than anyone should ever have too.
Puppies With A Purpose: The K9s For Warriors Dog Volunteer Program
While K9s For Warriors procures the majority of its Service Dog candidates from surrounding animal shelters, to meet the growing demand of veterans in need of hypoallergenic dogs, the organization now accepts donations of ethically-sourced bred and donated puppies.
Since 2018, K9s For Warriors has paired over 100 puppy-raised Service Dogs with veterans.