Warrior Canine Connection Founder and Executive Director Rick Yount Elected to Board of Directors for Assistance Dogs International North America

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BOYDS, Maryland – Warrior Canine Connection is pleased to announce that its Founder and Executive Director Rick Yount has been elected to the Board of Directors for Assistance Dogs International North America (ADINA), effective immediately. Yount, along with three additional newly elected board members, will work together to represent ADINA’s mission and vision within North America.

“I have always admired Assistance Dogs International for being a leader in the service dog field, and I’m honored to be joining its board,” said Yount. “Since WCC became an accredited member of ADI in 2015, I’ve been fortunate to see how ADI’s commitment to supporting advocacy, training and addressing access issues has positively impacted service dog organizations. Together, with the rest of the ADI board, I look forward to contributing to its tradition of excellence, as well as expanding into new areas of training and education to continue the growth and support for service dogs across the country.”

Yount founded nonprofit Warrior Canine Connection in 2011 after pioneering the first service dog training program at the California Veterans Hospital in Palo Alto in 2008. He also devised WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery training model, whereby Warriors in recovery are enlisted to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.

“Rick is a leader in the service dog industry and we are excited to welcome him to ADINA’s board of directors,” said Sheila O’Brien, president, ADINA. “We believe his strong experience, background and insight on breeding, training and pairing highly trained service dogs with Veterans will be especially helpful to ADINA as the organization continues to grow, shape access policies and advocate for those who rely on service dogs.”

Rick graduated with a B.A. from West Virginia University and also earned a Master’s in Assistance Dog Education. He combined his social work knowledge and experience along with his service dog training background to develop WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery training model, which serves as an intervention to help Service Members and Veterans with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. He will serve a four-year term on the ADINA Board of Directors.

The slate of 2018 ADINA Board members is listed below:

  • Sheila O’Brien, President
  • Sheri Stoles, Vice President
  • Laura Watamanuk, Secretary
  • Rick Hairston, Treasurer
  • Sally J. Irvin
  • Jennifer Rogers
  • Jeanine Konopelski
  • Jenny Brodkorb
  • Rick Yount

 

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

 

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, and help in reintegrating back into their families and communities. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.

 

About Assistance Dogs International North America
Assistance Dogs International (ADI) is a worldwide coalition of non-profit organizations that raise, train and place assistance dogs.  ADI is the leading authority in the Assistance Dogs industry establishing and promoting standards of excellence in all areas of assistance dog acquisition, training and partnership.  Assistance dog organizations that pass our accreditation process become ADI Accredited members and are regularly assessed to ensure they meet the high standards in the industry. For more information, visit www.assistancedogsinternational.org.

ADI North America (ADINA) is a Regional Chapter of Assistance Dogs International. ADINA Board of Directors are focused on regional issues and objectives that affect our member organizations in North America that includes support of new members, the opportunity to network and provide education for our membership and involvement in advocacy issues that affect our graduate teams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WCC Receives $50,000 Grant from William H. Donner Foundation, Inc.

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BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is pleased to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from the William H. Donner Foundation in support of its mission to train and place service dogs for Veterans with visible and invisible wounds.

WCC uses a Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) therapy model designed as an intervention for combat Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. The MBTR model provides Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are receiving treatment at VA, DoD and community-based treatment centers. It is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing events from their combat days. MBTR also harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos in which Warriors train service dogs for fellow Veterans; through the process, they learn to focus on the dogs and their mission to help another Veteran.

“Whether it’s birthing, caring for and socializing a new litter of puppies, holding training sessions or matching service dogs with Veterans, there’s no shortage of work or support needed to sustain our daily mission,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, WCC. “Everything we do is made possible by our loyal partners, including the William H. Donner Foundation, which supported WCC with grant funding in 2017 and again this year. Its generosity and support help provide highly trained service dogs for our Veterans and we are deeply grateful for their support.”

Training a service dog requires emotionally-based praise that challenges patterns of emotional numbing often associated with PTS. Learning to communicate assertively, practicing patience, and demonstrating empathy are skills that improve social and emotional competence—behaviors compromised by PTS and TBI.

To date, WCC has provided MBTR to more than 4,500 wounded Veterans from all branches of service, and placed 62 highly-trained assistance dogs at no cost to Veterans or their Military Families.

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

Veterans with Legal Issues in San Francisco Complete Service Dog Training with Warrior Canine Connection

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SAN FRANCISCO – Veterans involved in legal issues in San Francisco Superior Court’s Veterans Justice Court are now learning to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans through a new program being offered by Warrior Canine Connection. Veterans participating in WCC’s service dog training program not only fulfill community service hours but they also learn about dog psychology and training and volunteer with a professional service dog training instructor while helping fellow Veterans at the same time.

Many Veterans receive valuable mental health benefits associated with the canine-focused community service program. The VTC program utilizes WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) model in which Veterans work to overcome the effects of combat stress. Veterans who experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury are at risk for problematic behaviors, such as increased risk-taking, self-medication, sleeplessness and other symptoms that can result in their subsequent, and sometimes repeated, involvement in the criminal justice system.

“This program is immensely valuable to Veterans wrestling with legal issues, often for many, those issues are due to combat-related injury and stress,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director of Warrior Canine Connection. “The San Francisco Superior Court’s Veterans Justice Court has been a tremendous partner in rolling out this program. We both want to see Veterans back on their feet and we hope to provide that value through this program now and well into the future.”

WCC’s service dog training program operates in participation with the San Francisco Superior Court’s Veterans Justice Court. The program runs for a total of eight weeks while Veterans learn to train service dogs. The program helps them meet their legal community service obligations and also fulfills a time-honored military tradition of Warriors helping Warriors. In doing so, the Veteran can build confidence and important skills in communication, accountability, emotional stability, patience and parenting.

One group participant said, “I really like this group and I feel like being around animals is good for my mental health. It’s like the dog helps us just as much as we help him.”

In addition to the San Francisco Superior Court, WCC also provides service dog training programs in conjunction with the Veterans Treatment Court programs in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo Counties.

The WCC VTC Program was developed and implemented thanks in part to a 2017 grant provided by the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The Foundation had provided a previous 2016 grant to WCC to oversee a feasibility plan to use service dogs as a community service option.

 For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

 

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, help in reintegrating back into their families and communities, and a potential career path as a service dog trainer. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.

About Veterans Justice Court
San Francisco Superior Court Veterans Justice Court (VJC) addresses the specialized needs of veterans facing criminal charges by providing substance abuse and mental health treatment, rehabilitation, medical assistance, training necessary for employment or meaningful activity, and support with legal issues so that clients can lead productive and independent lives. The VJC adheres to the principles of San Francisco’s other collaborative court programs: a problem-solving focus, a team approach to decision-making, integration of social and treatment services, judicial supervision of the treatment process and community outreach. For more information, visit https://www.sfsuperiorcourt.org/divisions/collaborative/veterans-justice.

 

Veterans in San Mateo Graduate from Veterans Treatment Court Program

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It’s not every day you see dogs in the San Mateo County Superior Court, that is, until recently. They’re part of Warrior Canine Connection’s service dog training program — one of several community service options available to those involved in the Veterans Treatment Court.

This month, five Veterans who have worked with WCC’s service dogs in training graduated after completing an eight-week course.

“I like to say I’m volunteering but what I don’t tell people is that the dogs are really helping me, said Anzac Houchen, Army Veteran and VTC Program participant. “The benefits of working with the dogs has helped me feel that I’m becoming a functional member of our society and the satisfaction that I get from that is hard to quantify.”

For Veterans like Houchen, the program helps to teach them how to work with service dogs in training, which helps not only to meet their legal community service obligations but also fulfills a time-honored military tradition of Warriors helping Warriors. In doing so, the Veteran can also benefit from skills development in communication, confidence building, accountability, emotional regulation and socialization.

In 2008, states and counties in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs created a system of Veterans Treatment Courts throughout the nation. To date, these VTCs have used treatment to help rehabilitate more than 10,000 Veterans with mental health and/or substance dependence and legal issues.

Judge Jack Grandsaert, who helped start the VTC program in San Mateo County Superior Court in 2012, says the service dog training program has been a great addition to its program.

“The Warrior Canine Connection Program has been an invaluable partner for our VTC,” said Judge Jack Grandsaert, San Mateo County Superior Court. “The beneficial effects that this program has had on our Veterans has been nothing less than spectacular. I cannot imagine a better way for our Veterans to give back to their community than in training these wonderful dogs to serve their disabled brothers and sisters in arms. The time that our Veterans spend with the dogs has been so therapeutic for the Veterans, and so valuable for the disabled Veterans that the dogs will ultimately serve.”

Marine Corps Veteran Kenneth Combs says he enjoyed his experience working with the dogs and learned a lot about himself at the same time.

“The Warrior Canine Connection program is an invaluable program that not only helps the final veterans that receive the animals but everyone who is involved,” said Combs, VTC Program Participant. “I just want to say that this was a life-changing experience for me and it was one of the best things that has also helped turn my life into a happier one. I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone. Especially if you want to learn more about yourself as it will help you understand yourself better as well as others. Overall, I believe this program is amazing and will change the life of any person involved for the better.”

San Mateo County Superior Court is the fourth county in California (in addition to Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Francisco) to offer WCC’s service dog training program as part of its VTC.

Program Manager Jessica Podkulski, WCC, says the program is a real win-win — the Veterans benefit from the training, as do the dogs — who will ultimately go on to assist other Warriors.

“WCC is both proud and thankful for all of the contributions these Veterans have made to training future service dogs for their fellow Veterans,” said Podkulski. “These Veterans have been contributing essential service dog training while also navigating the criminal justice system and shown to be an asset within their communities. This past year, Veterans in this Court have trained the dogs to navigate movie theaters, cafes, large events, court hearings, community centers, and even participated in speaking engagements to help educate community members. Being able to provide a therapeutic community service option for the Veterans in this Court has been a wonderful experience for WCC staff and our service dogs in training. We look forward to continuing our involvement with the San Mateo County VTC.”

In addition to California, Warrior Canine Connection offers service dog training in the Baltimore, Maryland VTC and through partner program, Assistance Dogs of the West, which is based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The WCC VTC Program was developed and implemented thanks in part to a 2017 grant provided by the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The Foundation had provided a previous 2016 grant to WCC to oversee a feasibility plan to use service dogs as a community service option.

 

 

Warrior Canine Connection Awarded One of 19 FY18 Small Grants by the Healthcare Initiative Foundation

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BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is a recipient of one of 19 Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) FY18 Small Grant Awards, which focus on supporting Montgomery County, Maryland-based organizations that provide high-quality, comprehensive and sustainable health and wellness services in the area. WWC received $5,000 in grant funding earmarked to support delivery of its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) Program to Veterans in Montgomery County.

“We are so appreciative of HIF’s commitment to health and wellness initiatives for our local community right here in Montgomery County,” said Founder and Executive Director Rick Yount, Warrior Canine Connection. “HIF’s continued support and recent grant funding are clear indicators and acknowledgment of the positive and transformative impact service dogs can have on our Warriors wrestling with both visible and invisible wounds. HIF has been helping us achieve our No Fail Mission since 2015.”

The MBTR model harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos and the human-animal bond to reduce symptoms of combat trauma whereby patients with combat stress train dogs to assist another Veteran with invisible and/or physical wounds. The model provides recovering combat Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are recovering and is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing.

Crystal Townsend, President, Healthcare Initiative Foundation stated, “HIF is proud to once again invest in Warrior Canine Connection’s MBTR Program, as it supports one of our major priorities of providing comprehensive healthcare, which includes behavioral health and wellness. This innovative approach provides both treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, while simultaneously training service dogs to support additional veterans in need.”

The Healthcare Initiative Foundation awarded $74,000 in FY18 Small Grants to 19 organizations, which are projected to serve 69,580 individuals throughout Montgomery County. The grants support the following three main priorities:

  1. To improve the quality and availability of comprehensive healthcare;
  2. To build the capacity and sustainability of the healthcare network; and
  3. To grow a highly skilled and culturally competent healthcare workforce.

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

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 About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, help in reintegrating back into their families and communities, and a potential career path as a service dog trainer. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.

About the Healthcare Initiative Foundation
The Foundation’s mission is to support organizations that offer solutions to improve the quality and delivery of health and wellness services for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. Within our geographic and focus area, HIF considers efforts to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare, expand the availability of comprehensive healthcare, build appropriate capacity in the healthcare network, and grow the healthcare workforce. To learn more, please visit: http://www.hifmc.org and like HIF on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/hifmc.

Warrior Canine Connection Receives $100,000 Grant from DAV Charitable Service Trust

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BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery program just received a most welcomed financial boost; DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Charitable Service Trust has provided the nonprofit with a $100,000 grant to help support the organization’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program, whereby Warriors are enlisted in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.

“DAV Charitable Service Trust is doing amazing work day-in and day-out to help improve the lives of our Veterans,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “We are so appreciative of receiving this support from them, as it will make an immediate impact by helping to support training, education and awareness of our programs.”

Mission Based Trauma Recovery was designed primarily as an intervention for combat Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. The MBTR model harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos and the human-animal bond to reduce symptoms of combat trauma whereby patients with combat stress train the dogs to assist another Veteran with invisible and/or physical wounds. The model provides recovering combat Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are in treatment and is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing.

“DAV has remained dedicated to fulfilling the needs of our nation’s veterans for nearly 100 years, and our Trust exists to assist other charitable organizations in their efforts to improve the lives of the men and women who served,” said Richard E. Marbes, President of DAV’s Charitable Service Trust. “It is our hope that through these funds, Warrior Canine Connection will accomplish that very goal.”

DAV Charitable Service Trust helps to fulfill a focused and noble purpose: empowering veterans to lead high quality lives with respect and dignity. Through an established, nationwide grant program, the Trust supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs; enhances research and mobility for veterans with amputations and spinal cord injuries; benefits aging veterans; aids and shelters homeless veterans; and evaluates and addresses the needs of veterans in recent wars and conflicts.

To learn more about WCC or this grant, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org.

Warrior Canine Connection Launches Program in Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court

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Service Dog Training Program to Help Wounded Veterans Avoid Incarceration 

BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection announces it is offering a new program to support the Veterans Treatment Court in Baltimore. Working with District Court in Baltimore City, the WCC program utilizes service dog training as a community service option for Veterans involved with the criminal justice system.

“The Veterans Treatment Court Program has had a positive impact on those involved in our program at our California sites, and we are honored to provide the same service to Veterans involved in the District Court in Baltimore City in hopes that we will see similar outcomes,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “The VTC program offers a productive and rewarding community service option for Veterans involved in the legal system and is, at the same time, helping to produce much-needed service dogs for their fellow Veterans.”

The Baltimore-based program is in addition to WCC’s current VTC programs in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties in California. Many Veterans have received value from the mental health benefits associated with the canine-focused community service program. The VTC program utilizes WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) model in which Veterans work to overcome the stress of combat by training service dogs for their fellow Veterans.

As an extension of WCC’s programming, partner organization Assistance Dogs of the West has offered WCC’s training model in the Veterans Court Program, Second Judicial District, Santa Fe, New Mexico since 2014. Judges Stan Whitaker and Christina Argyres of the SJDC Veterans Court Program have enthusiastically embraced the dogs as part of their program and the tremendously positive effects they have on the lives of Veteran participants.

Veterans involved in the courts are often required to complete a set number of community service hours. The dog training — offered through WCC — is one of the options on the docket. Training takes place on a weekly basis at the courthouse and Veterans can participate within the WCC program for the duration of their VTC commitment.

“The service dog training opportunity brought to our Veterans Treatment Court by Warrior Canine Connection has been something our Veterans can really relate to,” said Judge Halee Weinstein, Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court. “One of the most important aspects of our VTC program is re-instilling the sense of duty to the community, and training dogs that will go on to assist other Veterans helps rebuild their connection with the entire community of Veterans.”

The program teaches Veterans how to work with service dogs in training which helps not only to meet their legal community service obligations but also fulfills a time-honored military tradition of Warriors helping Warriors. In doing so, the Veteran can also benefit from skills development in communication, confidence building, accountability, emotional regulation and patience to promote an act of service while receiving a therapeutic benefit.

Starting in 2008, states and counties in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs created a system of Veterans Treatment Courts throughout the nation. To date, these VTCs have used treatment to help rehabilitate more than 10,000 Veterans with mental health and/or substance dependence and legal issues. Despite these efforts, tens of thousands of Veterans continue to need similar assistance.

For some post-9/11 Veterans, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury can contribute to their misconduct, such as increased risk-taking, self-medication and other behavioral issues that result in their subsequent, and sometimes repeated, involvement in the criminal justice system.

The WCC VTC Program was developed and implemented thanks in part to a 2017 grant provided by the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The Foundation had provided a previous 2016 grant to WCC to oversee a feasibility plan to use service dogs as a community service option.

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

 

 

 

 

Warrior Canine Connection to offer Service Dog Training at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in Denver Area

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New Partnership to Help Expand Breadth of Program Interventions for Veteran Patients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2018

AURORA, Colorado – Today, Warrior Canine Connection announced that it is partnering with the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus to offer service dog training as part of its roster of MIBH’s interventions available to its patients.

This new Aurora-based location marks 10 program sites where WCC administers its Mission Based Trauma Recovery model, whereby Warriors recovering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries help train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.

“We are proud to partner with the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and thrilled to expand our programming to the Colorado Front Range area,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “MIBH is a premier service provider for our nation’s Veterans, and we consider it a privilege to offer service dog training as part of its extensive program offerings to help our Warriors heal and grow.”

The Marcus Institute for Brain Health (MIBH) provides specialty care for military Veterans and retired athletes struggling with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (including concussion) and co-morbid psychological health issues. MIBH offers comprehensive care for the physical, emotional and cognitive changes that can accompany trauma to the head. Emphasis is placed on detailed evaluation and treatment; each patient is treated as an individual with a personalized treatment plan.

“The Marcus Institute for Brain Health is delighted to have Warrior Canine Connection join us in partnership here on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus in caring for military Veterans with TBI and psychological health conditions,” said Dr. James Kelly, executive director, MIBH. “WCC’s Ann Spader and one-year-old Labrador Retriever “Joseph” have brought unique opportunities for health and wellness to our interdisciplinary treatment program. We are certain that involving our patients in service dog training adds a dimension of holistic well-being and social engagement that WCC has become renown for introducing to the care of those with the invisible wounds of war.”

Each service dog training session runs for a total of four weeks. “Joseph,” the resident service dog in training, will soon be accompanied by a second dog that will be added to the program in the coming weeks.

 For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, help in the reintegration back into their families and communities, and promote consideration of a potential career path as a service dog trainer. For more information, visit warriorcanineconnection.org.

About Marcus Institute for Brain Health 
At the MIBH, our complete focus is to help you get better. People struggling with the persistent effects of mild to moderate brain injuries see changes in emotions, physical functioning, and thinking. These changes directly affect everyday life and impact how we see ourselves as well as relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.  At the MIBH, we believe in wellness for you and for your loved ones. We encourage your family to participate in your care. Health and wellness extend to all parts of your life, and we believe that with the right tools we can help make this your reality.

For many years, people struggled alone with mild to moderate brain injuries. Concussions have been misunderstood as “just a bump on the head.” Today we know differently. There are clear changes in brain functioning after injury and for many people there are long-term changes. This is the reality for military Veterans who may also struggle with PTS, depression, and anxiety. Our retired athletes are faced with the possibility of sport-related brain changes. We know that treatment for TBIs and changes in psychological health requires a sophisticated healthcare team. The MIBH exists to fill this critical need for comprehensive, customized care.

 

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Warrior Canine Connection Receives Grant from Veterans United Foundation for Service Dog Training Program

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BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is pleased to announce it has received a $20,000 grant from Veterans United Foundation. The grant will support WCC’s mission of helping Veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress by pairing them with service dogs in training.

WCC uses a Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) therapy model designed as an intervention for combat Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. The MBTR model provides Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are receiving treatment at Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities. It is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing events from their combat days. MBTR also harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos in which Warriors train service dogs for fellow Veterans; through the process, they learn to focus on the dogs and their mission to help another Veteran.

“We are honored to have been selected to receive the support of the Veterans United Foundation,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “Veterans United Foundation is a first-class organization and its support of Veterans is tried and true; Warrior Canine Connection is privileged to have their commitment to help us fulfill our mission of serving our heroes.”

Veterans United Foundation is the philanthropic division of Veterans United Home Loans. Incepted in November 2011, the foundation is funded from employee contributions that are matched dollar-for-dollar by the company. More than 90 percent of Veterans United employees contribute at least one-percent of their paychecks to the foundation. Since its founding, the foundation has raised more than $40 million. Employees also take an active role in referring possible needs to the foundation and showing the community support through volunteer work.

“Our employees are passionate about enhancing lives,” said Greg Steinhoff, executive director of Veterans United Foundation. “Our foundation is happy to support efforts that have a lasting impact on our Veterans.”

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, help in reintegrating back into their families and communities, and a potential career path as a service dog trainer. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.

About Veterans United Foundation
Veterans United Foundation is supported entirely by the employees of Veterans United Home Loans. The foundation is committed to enhancing the lives of Veterans and military families nationwide, by supporting nonprofit organizations that strengthen local communities and honor the sacrifices of those who served our country. It also provides individual donations to current and former military members in need. More than $40 million has been raised since its founding in 2011. Learn more at EnhanceLives.com.

New Litter of Puppies Make Debut on New & Improved Warrior Canine Connection Puppy Cam on Explore.org

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BOYDS, Maryland – Viewers of the Warrior Canine Connection puppy cam on Explore.org will now notice a substantially enhanced viewing experience when they log-on. The site, which launched almost six years ago as the first of its kind, has added five upgraded high-definition cameras and increased perspectives and angles so WCC supporters and fans can follow the development of these service dogs in training.

Warrior Canine Connection is a nonprofit organization that utilizes therapeutic service dog training to help Veterans reconnect with life, their families, their communities and each other. Since its early beginning, Explore.org and the Annenberg Foundation have been strong partners in WCC’s work. This July, WCC will celebrate six years of having its popular puppy cam on the Explore.org platform. The foundation has also provided philanthropic support to fuel WCC’s mission, most recently with a generous gift of $125,000.

“Explore.org has been a tremendous partner to WCC, and we are honored that they’ve made this investment in our Healing Quarters,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “We are so appreciative of their commitment and support to raising awareness about the critical role service dogs play in the lives of our Veterans and for their help in delivering the healing power of service dogs to our viewers.”

The upgraded viewing platform includes three cameras inside the WCC Puppy Enrichment Center, including the whelping room, which features new puppies — Laura’s Legacy Litter — comprised of two female and two male Labrador Retrievers who were born on Sunday, April 8. The indoor cameras also feature the puppy petting pen, where volunteers can be seen helping to socialize the pups, and the night room, where puppies spend their evenings. The two outdoor cameras showcase the open-air puppy pen and the corral are where the larger dogs can often be found at play.

When the WCC site first launched on Dog Bless You on Explore.org, the livestream was a novel idea, but since then millions of people have tuned in to watch the development and adorable antics of 14 WCC litters.

The WCC Puppy Cam has been featured on national and local news outlets, as well as technology platforms at Veterans Administration hospitals across the country. The WCC Puppy Cam is even credited with inspiring the development of a devout group of followers called the Extreme Puppy Watchers (also known as the EPWs) who number in the thousands from all over the U.S. and who volunteer their time and services to the organization.

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, WCC, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

 

About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, help in the reintegration back into their families and communities, and promote consideration of a potential career path as a service dog trainer. For more information, visit warriorcanineconnection.org.

About Explore.org
Explore.org is a philanthropic media organization founded by Charles Annenberg Weingarten, Director and Vice President of the Annenberg Foundation and graduate of the USC School of Cinema. Founded in 2004, Explore.org began as a photojournalism and documentary organization, focusing on diverse topics, championing the selfless acts of others, and inspiring lifelong learning.

Explore.org is home to 300 original films, some of which broadcast weekly on KCET/Link TV and have been featured at film festivals around the world. In 2008, Mr. Weingarten created Dog Bless You, a community that hosts nearly 3 million Facebook fans and takes the lead in funding the training of service dogs for U.S. war veterans. Dog Bless you celebrates the role that animals play as guardians of the human spirit, and the community celebrates their pets by participating in monthly photo contests. Dog Bless You partners with other nonprofit organizations to pair service dogs and war veterans who cope with PTSD.

Described by Jane Goodall as the future of zoos, Mr. Weingarten created Pearls of the Planet, a collection of live HD cameras which now comprise the largest live nature network in the world. The cameras utilize technology that allows people to connect up close and personal with nature and participate as citizen science pioneers. All of Mr. Weingarten’s projects are philanthropic and dedicated to improving humanity. Explore.org’s tagline is, “Never Stop Learning.”

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Boyds, MD 20841

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info@warriorcanineconnection.org

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Warrior Canine Connection
is a 501(c)(3)
Nonprofit Organization
# 45-2981579