Forever in Our Hearts: Remembering Shelley Smith

If you had the privilege of knowing Shelley Smith, you know what a truly special person she was. She had a gentle, kind spirit that made everyone feel comfortable and she loved every living creature—big and small. Her sudden passing in January has left us all heartbroken and in shock. She meant so much to all of us at WCC, and we will forever miss her.

As we continue to grieve this profound loss, we’re also determined to celebrate Shelley’s life, remembering the joy and warmth she brought to everyone she met. Her time with us was far too short, but the impact she made will stay with us forever.

Shelley joined the WCC pack as a service dog training instructor more than 5 years ago. In that time, she impacted so many. She trained 23 dogs in the program, introduced WCC programming to the San Francisco VA and Veterans Treatment Court, launched the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act programming at Menlo Park VA and touched the lives of more than 600 Veterans involved in WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program.

In honor of Shelley, we reached out to team members, Veterans whose lives she touched, puppy raisers and others who had the privilege of crossing paths with her. We asked them to share memories and thoughts, so we can celebrate her life and honor her memory.

“I am still so heartbroken over this news. I can’t believe Shelley is no longer a text away when I have a question about my dog’s poop, or when I have a funny story or picture to share with her because I know she’d get a kick out of it. Shelley was an incredible person—so full of joy and passion for her job, and so easy to work with. She had an incredible impact on all the Veterans she worked with along with all of us volunteers. She was always thinking of us and giving us small gifts, just because. She was an incredible cook and always made the most delicious foods for any event or celebration we’d have. Often times she’d call me about something that should have been a five-minute conversation, but we’d end up chatting for almost an hour by the end of the call. The world lost an incredible human being.”  – Karen Chiu, puppy raiser, WCC Menlo Park

“Even with her being far away, her loss is felt, and our hearts are heavy. I never got anything from Shelley other than kindness and hard work. I grieve for her family and for the world’s loss of someone who made everyone’s journey lighter.” – Cheryl Bingham, WCC volunteer program

“Shelley ‘s compassion and care was evident in all our conservations.  Always thinking of others and open to learning and growing as a person. Her warm heart and caring soul will be greatly missed.” – Amy Guidash, WCC Asheville program director

“I am so heartbroken! She was one of the main reasons I did so well when I was in the Veterans Program! RIP Shelley! I am truly going to miss you!” – Greg Enriquez, Veteran program participant, WCC Menlo Park

“Shelley was truly the kindest and warmest individual. Despite being an introvert and pretty private about her life outside of WCC, she loved talking and catching up. One evening when she was dropping off one of the dogs I was raising I stayed outside talking so long that I badly overcooked dinner and we had to order out. She balanced her responsibilities at WCC so beautifully. She was an extremely talented dog trainer, but also cared so deeply for the Veterans she worked with. She was especially passionate about a women’s trauma group and the Veterans Court program. She impacted so many people directly through these programs and I know she is very missed in those communities.” – Tegan Kopilenko, puppy raiser, WCC Menlo Park

“Over the years, Shelley and I had the opportunity to attend many Veteran events together as she spearheaded WCC’s program operations in California. Time and again, I saw how her quiet and kind way instantly put people at ease and earned their trust. To all who had the good fortune to know Shelley, it was clear how much she cared for the Veterans she worked with and the dogs she prepared for careers supporting wounded Warriors. While some people thrive on praise for the work they do, Shelley always seemed to take solace in the quiet moments—seeing a smile on a Veteran’s face after a tough session; having a dog in training master a new command. And although she didn’t need public recognition for the impact she was making day in and day out, Shelley personally supported hundreds of Veterans as they walked a tough journey to recovery. She changed a lot of lives in a short time and will be dearly missed by all of us at WCC.” – Jennifer Wilder, WCC director of development

“What I adored so much about Shelley’s training style and honestly what I made sure I implemented into my own, was how she would give instruction and then observe. She never interrupted or took over until the Veteran had completed his command set or task. She understood the importance of allowing the Veterans to try first then learn through comparison. She was also so great at asking the Veterans questions like ‘how did that feel?’ or ‘do you think the dog understood the task?’ or even ‘what’s another way we could communicate the objective to the dog?’ It was incredible because she made it a learning moment instead of just teaching and instructing. She allowed them to process every moment, and it lit a fire in my training style. Any time I needed a quick answer, I would text, and she always responded, ‘how are you?’ and then got to my question. She truly cared and will be truly missed. I wish I had pictures with her, but I have such vivid memories of the conversations, calls, lunches, laughs and teaching moments. She was such a wonderful human!” – Emily Patton, WCC service dog training instructor

“Such heartbreaking news. Shelley was my WCC POC as an out-of-area puppy raiser for Captain and Piccone. She brought a smile and words of encouragement and support to every online training session. Lucky that I had a chance to meet her on trips to Menlo Park and reconnect on her graduation visits to HQ. Gone way too soon, but she leaves behind a legacy of care and compassion for her animals, friends, veterans and family.” – Terrie Bates, WCC volunteer and member of WCC Board of Directors

“This is devastating news. Shelley was my POC when Paul was training in California. She was so kind and helpful. I’m thankful I got to see her when I was there in July. Sending much love and comfort to the WCC pack and her family. She will be sorely missed.” – Mariah Beahm, WCC volunteer

A private service was held for Shelley in San Francisco, California in late January. Her loved ones are grappling not only with her loss, but to cover some of the expenses related to her care. If you would like to contribute, visit https://bit.ly/ShelleyGoFundMe. Rest in peace, Shelley.