Paw-sitively Powerful: Volunteers at the Heart of WCC

At Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. Their dedication and selflessness are the driving force behind every success we achieve. As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month this April, let’s take a moment to honor these incredible individuals who pour their hearts into supporting our mission of healing Service Members and Veterans through our Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) programs. Join us in expressing our deepest gratitude for their unwavering commitment and boundless compassion.

Here’s a snapshot of the impact volunteers made for WCC in 2023.

  • A total of 623 volunteers assisted WCC across 15 program sites.
  • 1,310 Veterans served through 10,077 hours of animal-assisted therapy, which more than doubled the hours of animal-assisted therapy provided to Veterans and their military family members from 2022.
  • Volunteers spent a total of 128,684 hours helping; volunteer roles include puppy parents, sitters, whelping, admin, facilities, and transportation.
  • Donated volunteer time totals to an estimated value of $3,964,951 (based on $31.80 per hour) to WCC.

We are also proud to share that WCC volunteers received 175 Presidential Service Awards for their commitment in 2023.

What motivates them? Here’s what our volunteers have shared with us about their reasons for supporting WCC.

“Volunteering is important to me because I know that there is a dog who depends on me to give her the best training and love, and in turn, I know there is a long list of people who I have never met, who depend on volunteers to help them pair with their future dog,” shared Ayden Naguib, WCC puppy raiser.

“Volunteering at WCC is important because it is a way for me to honor my daughter’s life of service and her sacrifice by helping to train amazing dogs for Veterans who need them,” said Doreen Cappelaere, Gold Star Mother and WCC puppy raiser & puppy sitter.

“We owe a debt to those who’ve faithfully served our country. Volunteering with WCC allows me to give back to our Veterans and their families and it also makes me happy!” said Lynn Manuel, WCC puppy raiser.

“Supporting my fellow Veterans has become even more important to me than my time in service. I see so many of my friends and family who are Veterans struggle, and I know there are millions of more Veterans who need help, and being able to train service dogs to help Veterans just makes such an impact,” shared Rob Morris, WCC puppy raiser.

“So many lives can be touched and affected positively by just one dog. I also have family that has served and is serving—this organization is hope,” said Renee Norman, WCC puppy sitter and whelping volunteer.

“I love the mission and dogs are the bestest,” shared Katherine Grady, WCC puppy raiser.

If you have loved your volunteer experience, please continue to share with friends and family and maybe invite one more to join our pack.

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Healing Through Dogs: WCC’s MBTR Program

Warrior Canine Connection’s (WCC) MBTR training program, short for Mission Based Trauma Recovery, is the cornerstone of its mission. This unique volunteer-based, animal-assisted therapy involves Service Members and Veterans in training future service dogs. Besides knowing the dog will one day go on to help a fellow Veteran, many Warriors involved in MBTR cite their own benefits, including enhanced communication, confidence, accountability, emotional regulation, and patience.

Mar Leifeld, WCC’s Veteran training program manager, who spearheads the MBTR program, says while MBTR volunteers have been instrumental in helping to train hundreds of WCC dogs, it has also been transformative in helping Veterans transitioning out of the military to restore a sense of purpose.

“This program is 100% voluntary, and the volunteer piece is really at the heart of what’s driving our Veterans to be involved in it,” said WCC Veteran Training Program Manager Mar Leifeld. “Everyone who is coming to engage in the program, whether they have a personal reason to be engaged, they’re all coming to an increased sense of purpose and community and to give back.”

In 2023, a total of 1,310 Veterans participated in MBTR across all locations, collectively contributing 10,077 hours of voluntary training. On average, each Veteran dedicated approximately 7.7 hours to the program.

The numbers don’t lie—MBTR is impactful. In fact, testimonials from previous participants inspired lawmakers to tap Rick Yount, founder and executive director, WCC, and Veterans Affairs to help draft the original language for what would become the current PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2021.

Now in year three of a five-year pilot program, the impact of MBTR is being seen at five program sites that provide service dog training to benefit Veterans diagnosed with PTSD; WCC hosts two of the five sites.

While continuous research quantifies the impact of MBTR, participating Veterans have shared profound testimonials; from alleviating PTSD symptoms to enhancing concentration and fostering a sense of purpose, the MBTR program stands as a beacon of hope and healing for those who have served. But don’t just take our word for it, check out the Veteran participant testimonials below, all which have been shared anonymously.

“Training the dogs gave me time away from my PTSD symptoms. I was more focused on connecting with the dogs than my own symptoms,” shared one MBTR participant.

“Before I began the 8-week program, I was suffering from Major Depression. After numerous treatments including a variety of medications and 10 sessions of ECT, I was only minimally better. I was feeling numb for years and was unable to feel any joy.  I never left my home and did not want to do anything, even bathing was difficult. My occupational therapist recommended WCC. I honestly did not want to go, but I forced myself. After the first two sessions, I finally began to have some sort of feeling for the first time in years. I now leave my home several times a week and I want to do some things. It is a work in progress, and I have plenty of bad days, but this is a breakthrough,” shared a Veteran participant.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the program and used some of the skills to train my dog at home. It is very enlightening, and one feels like they are contributing their efforts for an excellent cause,” shared an MBTR participant.

“I appreciate the time I was able to spend with the pups & trainers. They are lovely & caring. It was a wonderful reminder to slow down pay attention and breathe into the positive or negative situation/what my inner voice was telling/yelling at me.”

“Training the dogs and learning how to train them in some of their tasks really helped me with concentration and slowing my mind down. I suffer from PTSD, TBI and anxiety amongst other things. My wife literally said the one day I was always in a good mood was the day I had an hour with the dogs. Before or after going.”

“Training the service dogs gave me a sense of purpose; connectedness with fellow veterans, instructors, and dogs; increased my mood; helped me be patient with my own dogs; gave me a sense of pride that I could contribute to society (I told my friends all about the program); made me more interested in other areas of my life again like sports and hiking with my dogs; it inspired me to take more dog training classes (animal CPR and obedience classes for my dogs); it made me feel like the VA cares about veterans with PTSD; I felt loved by the animals and instructors. Overall, this program made helped me feel good about myself again, purposeful and confident in myself.”

Learn more or get involved in WCC’s MBTR program here.

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Dog Walk for Warriors

This April, Warrior Canine Connection is asking you to put your best PAW forward to support our nation’s Veterans! During the month, we’re inviting everyone to join our virtual 30-mile Dog Walk for Warriors Challenge. It’s all about spreading the word about WCC’s mission, raising some funds and welcoming new friends into our pack. Visit the WCC Facebook page to find out more or sign up right here!

For those of you who are in the Washington, D.C. area, we would love to celebrate your last mile with you. Join us on our way to a “Million Dog March” on the National Mall, Sunday, April 28 at 11 a.m. Bring your four-legged friends—on leash—and support this WCC fundraising Challenge. Registration is required and the first 100 to sign up will receive a free t-shirt.

To participate in the live DC one mile walk, sign-up here!

Fur-midable Friends: The Science Behind Dogs and Our Well-Being

We all love our dogs. They make us smile, laugh and they are the best of companions. Research has recently proven what Warrior Canine Connection has upheld all along: dogs are good for our health.

According to a recent study published in The Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA), the calming effect of dogs extends beyond the physical realm and includes the virtual companionship found on screens.

For Rachel Lacy, who works in the gynecological oncology department at University of Virginia Hospital, the findings resonate strongly.

“Having the puppy cams, like the ones at Warrior Canine Connection, gives our staff moments of happiness and relief in a fast-paced and sometimes stressful working environment,” said Rachel Lacy, senior quality assurance specialist GYN ONC, University of Virginia Hospital. “The moment of reprieve is a welcome one especially in our oncology service line.”

The research findings revealed a notable decrease in self-reported anxiety among nurse leaders both individually and collected after participating in animal-related engagement (ARE) and support what Explore.org and WCC set out to prove through the puppy cam.

“The premise of starting Explore.org was to educate people about animals, bringing them into their living rooms,” said Courtney Huq, social media director, Explore.org. “Our viewers tell us often that puppy cams provide an uplifting dose of happiness, a break from day-to-day stress—that they’re the perfect antidote. It’s great to see the research catching up that.”

The live, 24/7 Warrior Canine Connection puppy cam hosted by Explore.org, has been in existence since July 2013. And in that time, millions of people have tuned in from all over the world. Over the years, WCC and Explore.org have heard not just from nurses, but also from teachers who have shown the feed in their classroom, doctors in ICUs during the height of the pandemic, and many, many other people, like Jane Jensen, who found relief in the camera while battling cancer a few years ago.

“I had that live stream up almost 24 hours a day for months; it literally got me through the chemotherapy treatments,” said Jane. “It was truly a spirit-saver—there’s no question. I didn’t have the energy or interest to watch TV, read or even eat at that point. I would just sit there and watch the puppies and they would make me smile. As an animal-lover, watching them helped lower my blood pressure and they just made my heart sing.”

Although WCC’s mission directly supports Service Members, Veterans and their families, we are thrilled at the reach our programs have extended far beyond specific community.

For more details on the research findings, you can access the complete JONA study here.

Raising the Woof: WCC’s Barn Renovation for Enhanced Veteran Support

The barn renovation at Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is officially underway! It’s a big deal for all of us at WCC and a major milestone. Yep, we hit a few bumps along the way, thanks to the pandemic and some budget hurdles, but good things take time, right?

WCC felt strongly about renovating the 1938 barn on the property instead of demolishing it and rebuilding due to the rich history it had in serving Veterans. The barn was initially designed by the University of Maryland and built as a dairy barn to provide milk for the troops in the National Capitol Region. Nearly 100 years later—the barn will be poised to serve a different, but equally important role in supporting our Nation’s Veterans.

First things first: Phase one is a wrap! We had to do some serious structural TLC to keep the integrity of our beloved barn intact. That came with a price tag of more than $750k and included shoring up beams, installing new posts and installing a new well.

Now, it’s all about phase two — converting the barn into a space that’s not just pretty but practical, too. Currently underway, the floor is being torn up where the elevator will be installed, followed by masonry work inside the elevator shaft walls.

But that’s not all … the new barn will also feature a brand-new addition, which will be a 28’ x 115’ kennel area. That’s 14 new indoor kennels with all the creature comforts, from heating to air conditioning. Grooming area? Check. Canine care staff workstation? Double-check.

None of this would have been possible without countless generous donors and Davis Construction, which has helped with every phase of this project from planning to execution.

“I am over the moon about finally getting the construction started,” said WCC Director of Facilities Kim Vaughan, who is overseeing the project. “Davis Construction has been an incredible partner, supporting us through the ups and downs, offering ideas, and generously contributing by doing the job at their cost.”

When completed, the first floor of the barn will house office space for trainers, restrooms, large service dog training area, food prep area, laundry nook, and veterinary office. The upper floor will have administrative offices and meeting space. Despite snow on the ground, the old metal roof is currently being replaced with new plywood and roof paper, topped with a fresh, green sheet metal roof to make it cohesive with the rest of the property.

The project was able to move from the drawing board to construction thanks to hundreds of gifts from individuals and generous leadership gifts from Dan and Gayle D’Aniello, the State of Maryland, Julie Walters, a private family foundation, Montgomery County, Associated General Contractors of America, and John and Marcia Shooshan, among many others.

Timeline for completion? September 2024. This massive project is our way of stepping up to ensure WCC can provide the support Veterans deserve and meet the growing demand for its programs and services. And hey, if you want to be part of this epic transformation, check out how you can pitch in here.

To watch the progress in action, check out the WCC construction page here.

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Soaring Dreams: WCC Helping to Make Connections in the Sky

“I grew up with a lot of helicopters overhead, and I always wanted to fly or have something to do with​ aviation,” said Kayla Foliente. “When I’m up there, I just feel free—my physical limitations don’t​ matter as much​.”

Kayla, 21, has always wanted to become a pilot. She is an active member of Civil Air Patrol – ​the U.S. ​Air Force Auxiliary, and works with radios along with being a UAS technician, meaning she helps assist with​ search and rescue missions using drones​. She joined Civil Air Patrol ​with hopes ​of eventually flying but ​was grounded due​ to a physical disability that impacts her mobility.

Kayla has been a regular fixture at Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) since she was 12. You may recognize her last name—her dad, Rod, had beloved WCC service dog Cadence, who passed away in 2022. This year, Rod graduated with his second WCC service dog, Hixon. Kayla has attended several graduations, programs, and events at WCC, getting to know WCC’s staff all along the way.

“They [Cadence and Hixon] completely changed our lives, and they kept our family together,” said Kayla. “Cadence saved my dad’s life, and I will always be grateful. And Hixon has done a great job carrying on her legacy.”

During a recent visit to WCC, Kayla mentioned her love of planes to Kim Vaughan, WCC’s director of facilities, who lives in an air park. And it wasn’t long after a plan was set into motion.

“Knowing how passionate Kayla is about flying, I asked some neighbors who own a Cessna if they would be willing to take her up, and I think they were just as excited about it as Kayla was,” said Kim Vaughn, WCC director of facilities. “Linda and Randy Burdette, both who are Army Veterans, graciously flew not only Kayla, but also her dad Rod and Kayla’s mom, Christina, for an afternoon cruise. It was a great day.”

Kayla added, “It was incredible … Randy let me help fly and help land, and it just felt so natural, I just loved it. Basically, anything aviation, I want in on it … my head is always in the clouds.”

As a thank you to Linda and Randy, Kayla, who is also a talented artist, drew a photo of their plane for them.

​​Shortly thereafter, Kayla was invited to the Flying Circus Aerodrome and Air Show in Bealeton, Va. While there, pilot Chuck Tippett flew her in his Waco, and another pilot flew Kayla in his Grasshopper.

As a thank you, Kayla broke out her brushes and painted a remarkable picture for Chuck of his Waco.

“It was just incredible, I am so thankful for these amazing opportunities,” said Kayla.

Asked about any turbulence on the flights, Kayla replied, “The more bumps, the better!”

Special thanks to Linda and Randy Burdette, Chuck Tippett, WCC’s Kim Vaughan and all the folks at the Flying Circus, and everyone else who made these special flights possible!

 

 

Thanks to Progressive, WCC Gets a New Set of Wheels

It’s only been a few weeks and this new minivan already has a couple hundred new miles on it! Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) accepted the keys to the vehicle in mid-November at a special ceremony in Glen Burnie. The generous donation came courtesy of Progressive’s Keys to Progress vehicle giveaway program, an initiative that aims to give cars to Veterans across the country as a way for the company to give back to people who have given so much for our country.

WCC team members transport puppies and dogs to hundreds of events each year, so the vehicle is a huge help to the organization.

“This new minivan isn’t just a vehicle, it’s a symbol of the invaluable support that Progressive is extending to Warrior Canine Connection,” said Rick Yount, executive director and founder, WCC. “With this addition, our team can enhance its reach, ensuring that we can safely and efficiently bring the comfort and companionship of man’s best friends to support Veterans in need.”

Progressive has been hosting its one-day vehicle giveaway events since 2013 at locations across the country. Employees across the U.S. volunteer to select vehicles to donate, organize fundraising activities to collect month or goods to provide recipient families, and plan memorable vehicle giveaway events for them.

WCC Veteran Service Dog Team Ashley Frantz and service dog Patty were Viriginia recipients of a vehicle from Progressive this year.

Please join us in saying a heartfelt thanks to Progressive for its amazing generosity!

Maryland’s veterans secretary on suicide prevention; Training service dogs for service members

Preventing suicide among veterans is personal for state Secretary of Veteran Affairs’ Anthony Woods. He lost his mother, an Air Force veteran, to suicide five years ago. We hear how Woods is expanding the reach of mental-health services. Read Woods’ commentary in the Baltimore Banner.

The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988. Veterans can dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.

Plus, Warrior Canine Connection enlists veterans to train service dogs for service members. We speak with WCC founder Rick Yount, and Tina Houser, a U.S. Army veteran who was matched with her service dog, Erik, a year ago. Learn how to become a WCC puppy parent. Check out the full story in On the Record on WYPR 88.1 with Sheilah Kast.

‘Chief’ the dog is helping veterans in honor of Ron Rivera’s late dad

Commanders Coach Ron Rivera’s dad was named Eugenio, who served two tours in Vietnam and beyond. And a future Warrior Canine Connection service dog was recently named in his honor. Check out the full story from WUSA9 News.

 Cheers, Tears and Tail Wags: Meet WCC’s Class of 2023!

It was just a few weeks ago that Warrior Canine Connection’s Class of 2023 celebrated its paw-some graduation. The ceremony, which was hosted virtually, had tails wagging and eyes misty.

These incredible assistance dog teams shared snippets of their military journeys and heartwarming tales of their newfound furry partners. It was a celebration, a round of applause, and a good ol’ dose of inspiration all wrapped into one fantastic virtual event.

This year’s graduating class is comprised of Veterans and Veteran families and 21 assistance dogs, including service dogs, facility dogs and military family support dogs.

Among the graduates is U.S. Coast Guard Retired Petty Officer Second Class James Riley who shared the following about his service dog, Ashley.

“I love the mission, and I love that she’s made a difference in other Veterans’ live,” said Riley. “It’s powerful, she’s like my rock.”

A highlight from the virtual ceremony included keynote speaker General (Ret.) James Mattis. During his heartfelt address, General Mattis, who has a WCC dog named after him, shared some wisdom that left us inspired.

“WCC’s mission is one that carries with it a sense of trust and purpose,” said General Mattis. “Knowing the dogs are trained by fellow veterans instills that same sense of trust at the heart of our military. It’s the principle that when the chips are down, you can count on the comrade to your left and right on the battlefield. So too can you trust in WCC that they took seriously the mission to prepare these loyal, steadfast comrades in arms for their buddies. Equally and perhaps more importantly is that the veterans training WCC dogs are themselves able to find a new sense of purpose and often times peace long after their military service.”

We also celebrated some other heroes of the WCC community — our Puppy Parents! These amazing volunteers pour their hearts into caring for, training and showering love upon our service dogs in training for their crucial first two years of life. Their unwavering dedication and the sacrifices they make play a monumental role in the success of WCC’s programs.

Following the virtual ceremony, WCC held an in-person celebration at its Healing Quarters. Despite the soggy weather brought in by Tropical Storm Ophelia, more than 300 Veteran Service Dog Teams, Puppy Parents, namesakes, volunteers and supporters of WCC turned out to celebrate together. A great time was had by all.

Did you miss the ceremony or want the watch the 2023 WCC Graduation video again? You can check it out here.

Join us in congratulating WCC’s Class of 2023 — may your journeys together be filled with countless adventures and endless belly rubs!

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Contact Us

14934 Schaeffer Road
Boyds, MD 20841

(T) 301.260.1111
info@warriorcanineconnection.org


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