K9s For Warriors Rescues Dogs, So Dogs Can Rescue Warriors

I had the pleasure and privilege of  visiting K9s For Warriors in Ponte Vedra, Florida.  They are the nation's largest provider of service dogs to Military Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disability (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Military Sexual Trauma as a result of military service post - 9/11.

Tragically, every day at least 22 Veterans commit suicide in America

Since 9/11, there have been over 130,000 Veteran suicides.  That is not acceptable on any level!  These Veterans risked their lives and made huge sacrifices so the rest of us can enjoy the safety and freedom our great country provides.  K9s For Warriors Mission is to STOP these daily suicides from PTSD altogether.  They developed a program that pairs Veterans with trained service dogs, most of whom are shelter rescues, that enables Veterans to return to civilian life with dignity and independence, while reducing their risk for suicide.

The welcoming front porch at K9s For Warriors in Ponte Vedre, Florida

My travel expenses to visit K9's For Warriors were paid for by Bayer Animal Health. I believe in the work K9s For Warriors is doing to help Veterans, and I want to share information about this amazing organization.

OVER 3.5 MILLION DOGS ARE EUTHANIZED IN SHELTERS EACH YEAR!  MANY OF THEM CAN BE TRAINED TO BE SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS IN NEED 

💔 20% of post-9/11 Veterans suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disability).

💔 10% of post -9/11 combat Veterans, 338,514 men and women, have been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

💔 Tragically, every day at least 22 Veterans,  many of whom suffer from PTSD, commit suicide in America.

💜 The average Veteran is taking 10 - 15 medications when he/she begins the K9's For Warriors program.  92% of these Veterans have eliminated or reduced prescription medications after they graduate from K9's For Warriors!

"When doctors kept giving me medication, K9s For Warriors gave me a spectacular service dog who has given me a second chance at living" -  Tiffany, a 2015 K9s For Warriors program Graduate

💜 There are over 3.5 million dogs euthanized in shelters every year!  Many of these are great dogs that can be trained to be service dogs to help Veterans.  The majority of the dogs in the K9s For Warriors program are shelter rescues.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A DOG TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE K9s FOR WARRIORS PROGRAM

🐶 Dogs must be Under 2 years of age and weigh at least 50 lbs.   A senior dog may not have enough years of service to give to a Veteran.  A lighter weight dog may not be strong enough to pull a wheelchair or assist in "bracing", which is helping the Veteran if s/he needs help getting up.

🐶 No bully breeds are accepted, mainly because of the potential for members of the public to have negative reactions to them.  I know, that sounds so unfair right!  But it's critical that a Veteran and service dog be welcomed and not potentially feared due to negative public reaction - fair or not, real or imagined.

🐶 K9's For Warriors maintains approximately 52 dogs on property that are in training.

🐶 As of last month, 367 dogs have been placed with Veterans in need!

🐶 The K9s For Warriors program saves two lives - the life of the dog that is rescued and trained for service, and the life of the Veteran who receives the trained service dog.  I like those numbers a lot!

🐶 The majority of the dogs trained for service in the program are rescued from shelters.  Most are adopted directly from shelters by K9s For Warriors, some have been obtained from prison programs, where select prisoners spend their days training dogs to become service dogs.

There's a swimming pool shaped like a dog bone at the K9s For Warriors facility!

🐶 When selecting dogs from a shelter or rescue, K9s For Warriors does an assessment to see if they will be a good fit for the program.  They test the dog to assess their ability to cope with loud noises,  how they react meeting strangers and other dogs.  They are also assessed for food aggression.

🐶 We spoke with the staff member who works with local shelters and rescues to recruit dogs for the program.  She explained that being food motivated was also an important trait for a dog to enter their program.  They need to be motivated by food or treats in order to fit well into their training program.

🐶 Once at the facility, K9s For Warriors quarantines the dogs for 10 days to ensure they show no signs for rabies or other diseases.  They perform blood work as well, testing for heartworm and other ailments.

🐶 If a rescue dog doesn't make it through the program successfully, K9s For Warriors works to ensure the dog finds a loving home.  They never send a dog back to the shelter!  They will work to find a good home for any dog that doesn't work out, which rarely happens according to the organization.

THE PROCESS FOR THE VETERAN

💜 Once accepted into the 3 week program and given a start date, the Veteran lives at the facility for 3 weeks.  Note: there is a waiting list to get into this wonderful program.  As of October 2017 the waiting list is about 11 months long.  The program is provided at NO COST to the Veteran.  

💜 Veterans are provided with a trained service K9, housing, meals, equipment, veterinary care and 120 hours of training with their new service dog.  As of October, 2017 367 Veteran-K9 teams have graduated from the program!

💜 The facility in Florida is beautiful, it has a genuine homey feel.  The grounds are lovely and the staff is warm and welcoming.  Many community volunteers cook meals for the Veterans and deliver them to the facility!

"I found the program through the NJ State Police and Troopers Assisting Troops where I met K9s For warriors founder, Shari Duval.  I had attempted suicide a few months prior and Troopers recommended I call Shari and get a service dog.  My dog Bernie has given me the security to leave my comfort zone.  Going through the program has given me peace of mind, and Bernie helps to mitigate my PTSD and Operational Stress" - James, a 2016 K9s For Warriors program graduate

💜 When they graduate from the program the Veteran gets a trained service dog for rest of his/her life no matter what happens!  When a dog retires, dies, or becomes too old to perform his duties the Veteran can choose to keep their dog as a pet.   K9s for Warriors would help them find a new home for the dog if needed.   A service dog is usually retired at approximately 8 years old, but that depends on the individual dog and their abilities.  

💜 K9s For Warriors stays in touch with their graduates long term, after they graduate from the program.

K9s For Warriors facility, where Veterans live and train with their service dog while in the program.  Pictured is the living room with TV, and kitchen and dining room in the background.

💜 K9s For Warriors also help Veterans with veterinary bills for the dogs placed with them.  They partner with local Veterinarians, and there are even mobile veterinary units available.   They work to obtain discounts or free services for the Veterans. 

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K9s for Warriors was created in 2011 out of a mother's love and concern for her son.  Shari Duval's son Brett returned home as a contractor from Iraq with Post Traumatic Stress Disability (PTSD).  Because Brett was a K9 Police Officer, Shari wanted to find a way to help him, through his love for canines.  After researching service dogs and PTSD she knew she had found an amazing way to improve Brett's life that could also help other Veterans.  We had the pleasure of meeting Brett while at the facility, where he now works to help other Veterans just as his Mom helped him!

I'm so impressed by all the great work K9s For Warriors is doing to help Veterans suffering from PTSD, TBI, and Military Sexual Trauma as a result of military service post - 9/11.  I loved visiting their facility, meeting their passionate staff, and seeing some of the dogs in training.  

Watch this video, called Dear Captain, to see first hand how a  K9s For Warriors service dog helped a Veteran in desperate need.  Grab a tissue folks, it's a tear-jerker for sure.

💔 IF YOU ARE A VETERAN IN CRISIS, OR YOU KNOW A VETERAN IN CRISIS PLEASE CALL THE VETERANS CRISIS HOTLINE AT 800-273-8255.

I want to thank Bayer Animal Health for inviting us along on this inspiring and insightful visit to see how K9s For Warriors is helping Veterans in need!  Thanks to Bayer for being such a great supporter of K9's For Warriors.  Their sponsorship helps K9s For Warriors continue providing this valuable service to Veterans suffering from PTSD.  Here's what Bayer Animal Health had to say about their partnership:

"Our partnership with K9s For Warriors was incredibly impactful to our employees, our customers and pet owners.  Because the partnership demonstrates Bayer Animal Health's mission of passionately caring for animals, our employee's rallied behind the cause, as it adds meaning to why we come to work every day.  Their engagement was genuine and inspiring.  They embraced Bayer, and supported the K9s For Warriors cause through in-store merchandising and promotions.  But more importantly, we were able to do well while doing good for others, and likely help save precious lives."

K9s For Warriors is in 43 states & Puerto Rico.   They have been working to get food and supplies to their Veterans in Puerto Rico. 

I hope you enjoyed learning about this incredible program that helps Veterans in need!  Please leave us a comment, we'd love to know your thoughts!

Puppies Being Raised in Prison For A Life Of Service

Can prison inmates be trusted to raise and train puppies, and prepare them for a life of service?  Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) is proving they can!  Puppies Behind Bars is a non-profit organization in the New York area that utilizes prison inmates to raise and train puppies as service dogs for wounded war veterans, and as explosive detection dogs for law enforcement.

The staff and volunteers at PBB believe that dogs can change lives. They can change the lives of law enforcement agents whose job it is to search for hidden explosives, providing  them with a canine partner whose extraordinary sense of smell will help them keep the public safe.  They can change the lives of wounded war veterans whose transition back home has become both difficult and frightening.   They can change the lives of prison inmates, offering them an opportunity to give something to the community. 



14 month old Max, one of the puppies in the PBB program

Puppies enter a prison when they are 8 weeks old and live with their inmate puppy-raisers for about 2 years.  Inmates accepted into the PBB program as puppy raisers are given rigorous training to become skilled dog handlers.   A large part of the puppies’ training includes the PBB Volunteer Program, which provides the puppies with the vital socialization skills they will need once they are placed as service dogs for a veteran or as explosive detection dogs for law enforcement. 

My friend Barbara Schwartz has been a PBB volunteer Puppy Sitter for over 10 years, providing much needed socialization for more than 90 dogs!  Barbara graciously agreed to let me interview her about her role as a Puppy Sitter.  We got together at her place for the interview, which was especially fun because her current PBB puppy, Max, was there to join us!



Barbara with Max during Max's weekend visit with her

Dogs Luv Us And We Luv them:
Barbara, what first drew you to  the Puppies Behind Bars organization and why did you choose to volunteer there?

Barbara:  Their program fit with my schedule and lifestyle, and I liked the work they were doing.  I also liked the idea that it was a way for prison inmates to gain responsibility and confidence, and give something back.  I wanted to do some good and I wanted to have a puppy on the weekends!  I'm not able to have a dog of my own right now.

Dogs Luv Us And We Luv them:
What is your role as a volunteer and how does it help the dogs and PBB?

Barbara: My role as a Volunteer Puppy Sitter is socialization of the pups.  One weekend a month I bring a puppy home with me and work on socialization skills.  If the pups stayed in the [prison] facilities they would be very well behaved and very well loved, but they wouldn't be in a position where they would do well in the outside world.  From the time I pick up a puppy from the prison they are being exposed to things outside the prison environment; car rides, new people and places, grass, tile, carpeting, ringing telephones and doorbells, airplanes flying overhead, public places such as malls and eating establishments and more.



Sleeping pups take a break from training!

Dogs Luv Us And We Luv them:
Wow! I didn't realize how many things the pups need to become familiar with in order to prepare for life outside the prison, and how important it will be in preparing the pup to live in a home as a working dog.  What is a typical weekend like for you as a volunteer puppy sitter?

Barbara:  I go to the prison on Saturday morning and sign in.  The inmate who is raising the puppy that I'm going to take home for the weekend brings the pup to me.  She also provides a letter with information about the pup, and may include recommendations on what the puppy needs to work on such as mouthing or scavenging around for food.  I take the pup home and spend some 1 on 1 time together, then we go for a short walk.  I take the puppies to visit my mom (she loves dogs!), and introduce them to some of my friends and family.  I continue to socialize them, introducing them to different people, places, and noises until I have to bring the puppy back to the prison on Sunday. 

Watch this video to see how one of PBB's service dogs changed the life of an Iraq war Veteran: Video source: YouTube

Dogs Luv Us And We Luv them:What do you like most about being a PBB volunteer, and what do you find most challenging?

Barbara: The thing I like the most is being able to help so many people; veterans, law enforcement and prison inmates.  And.... I get to have puppies!  The biggest challenge is when a pup is difficult; not listening, super high energy, not staying off furniture, etc.  It's rare, but sometimes I get a puppy that is more difficult to work with.  When that happens, I've learned to keep them on leash while in the house to prevent them from displaying behavior that is not acceptable.  You have to be really patient and calm.



A bundle of puppies to be expertly trained for a life of service

Dogs Luv Us And We Luv them:

Tell me about the dogs; how they are selected and what happens if they don't successfully complete the program.

Barbara: PBB utilizes Labrador  Retrievers and Golden Retrievers obtained from high quality breeders.  Pups that don't make it through the program successfully, or who are determined not suitable for placement with a Veteran or as an Explosive Device Detection Canine, are released for adoption [there is an application process and adoption fee of approximately $3,000, but the fee can vary]

Dogs Luv Us And We Luv them:
Barbara, thanks so much for providing us with a glimpse into the Puppies Behind Bars program and what it’s like to be a PBB volunteer Puppy Sitter!  Thanks to you too, Max, it was a pleasure meeting you and playing fetch together!
 

I hope you enjoyed my interview with Barbara. You can learn more about Puppies Behind Bars and the great work they are doing, on their web site.

Congratulations! to Puppies Behind Bars for earning its seventh consecutive 4-star rating (4 out of a possible 4 stars) from Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator!  Puppies Behind Bars is funded entirely by private contributions



Two pooped pups taking a break!