This month, Warrior Canine Connection came 4,000 tons closer to its large barn renovation project taking shape. The centerpiece of its headquarters, the iconic Schaeffer Farm dairy barn, is getting a major overhaul to transform the 1930s-era structure into a new facility needed to breed, train and place future service dogs.
As scenic as the farm is, there were many tons of concrete that had been dumped on the property over the years, as well as concrete pads that flanked older buildings no longer standing. In order to upgrade the utilities, install proper storm water runoff and adjust the grade of the land around the barn, most of the concrete had to go. The debris was not only unsightly, it also presented a major obstacle to the barn renovation, that is, until ISI Demolition got involved.
Based out of White Marsh, Maryland, ISI Demolition has been overseeing demolition projects for 29 years. After finding out about WCC’s needs following the February tornado, ISI graciously offered its services to WCC pro-bono.
“We knew there was a tremendous amount of concrete that had to be removed for the barn renovation project to continue on,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “Quite frankly, we were concerned about the cost to get this work done and how that would impact our construction efforts. In two short weeks, the ISI team did amazing work and removed a huge barrier that has enabled us to move on to the next phase in the barn renovation process. Thank you, ISI!”
Not only did the ISI team demo 4,290 tons of concrete, but they also crushed it into gravel so it can be repurposed for some grading projects around the barn and under the floor of the soon-to-be new kennel space.
“Our organization is honored to partner with Warrior Canine Connection,” said Dino Trombetta, president, ISI Demolition. “It gives us great pride to serve those who serve our country by supporting WCC’s mission and goals. Anytime we can offer our services to such a noble organization, we will.”
In all, the ISI team spent 153 hours on-site at WCC, spanning two weeks. With two hard-working operators, they processed a total of 4,290 tons of concrete and mobilized three pieces of equipment, along with the crusher, to complete the project.
“We were privileged to offer our services and pleased to leave a product onsite that will be reused for the new Warrior Canine Connection Headquarters,” said Jake Stocksdale, project manager, ISI Demolition. “It was a pleasure working with WCC and lend a helping hand to those who help our service veterans.”
Over the past year, WCC has completed some modest renovations, including the restoration of the gables on both ends of the barn. Now, with the concrete removed, more extensive site preparation and infrastructure work can begin. Final layout plans are in progress and WCC anticipates that permitting will soon be underway. The entire project has been a collaborative one, with WCC getting much-needed assistance from Montgomery County, the State of Maryland, and incredible corporate friends, like ISI, who have generously shared their valuable expertise, time and manpower.
WCC’s Calli Gets Private Flight to Maryland from Volunteer Pilot
Calli, a WCC military family support dog from the Welcome Home Litter who was paired with his military family earlier this year, recently had some health issues that required some specialized medical care. The problem? He was in Memphis, Tennessee and WCC’s veterinary team is in Sandy Spring, Maryland.
It just so happens Mark, who is a Veteran himself, lives next door to one of WCC’s team members who told him about the situation. That’s when Mark happily agreed to get Calli where he needed to be via his personal four-seater plane.
“There are two types of pilots — a pilot who flies because it’s a good job and the others who fly because they love it,” said Mark. “I often look for an excuse to fly and this was a good one — it was a win-win for everybody.”
A civilian pilot part of his career, Mark says he “got distracted” and ended up going to the military medical school as a naval officer and then he took a position with another commissioned uniformed service that took him to the Indian Health Service where spent 32 years as an eye surgeon.
In his role, Mark often found himself in remote locations where Native Americans didn’t have access to specialty healthcare. He convinced his leadership team to start a small flight department so he could help get physicians and specialists in and out of the area to help provide medical services that otherwise wouldn’t be available.
Mark served as the chief pilot of the flight department for 15 years and recently retired from medicine. Clearly, having spent most of his life helping others isn’t just a job for him, but a way of life.
“I don’t need much excuse to go flying since I retired from my federal job,” said Mark. “Before this, I’ve been around service dogs only on commercial airlines. Calli was absolutely superb. In fact, he was far better than a lot of passengers I used to fly. He was great, he curled up and couldn’t be happier, I was very impressed.”
Calli is back in Maryland, where he’s resting comfortably and in good hands with WCC’s medical team.
We are continually amazed by all that our volunteers and supporters, like Mark, do to help our Veterans, dogs and our organization. Please join us in thanking Mark for going above and beyond to help Calli!
Want to Banish the COVID Blues? Think ‘Pawsitive’
Alumni series highlights how Warrior Canine Connection health benefits translate to all
June 1, 2020 – Anxiety and cabin fever can stem from the stay-at-home orders impacting American lives for the past few weeks. But for nearly 85 million U.S. families, their households offer something that can reduce their feelings of angst and isolation. And it doesn’t come from the fridge. Read more about how to beat the COVID blues in this CU Anschutz Medical Campus story here.
WCC Unleashed
“There’s a real need for programming like this to help Veterans at home tap into the human-animal bond with their pets,” said Rick Yount. “We know not all Veterans need a service dog, but they can certainly learn time-tested methods for helping them improve their relationships, including communication, training and improving their bond with man’s best friend.”
The first installment of WCC Unleashed, which covers training concepts and how Veterans can teach their own dogs different commands, can be viewed here.
The series will focus on different topics in each episode — with all videos designed to help explain, improve and enhance the enjoyment of the bond between a Veteran and his/her four-legged friend. Future topics include grooming, the human-animal bond, stages of learning, among many others.
“Unleashed” isn’t to prepare pups to become future service dogs, rather, it will help explain and, in some instances, decode the what and why of how your dog may be thinking, feeling and behaving.
Subsequent “Unleashed” episodes will be released in the new feature — stay tuned!
Harlem Kindergartners Take Virtual Field Trip to Warrior Canine Connection in Boyds, Maryland
The Harlem Academy class of 25 has been, like most classrooms around the country, learning virtually for months now. Holding a kindergartener’s attention can be challenging under even the best of circumstances, so just imagine teaching more than two dozen kindergarteners virtually.
That’s precisely what co-teachers Hannah Tejeda and Galila Ahmed at Harlem Village Academy have been doing since March. Both Hannah and Galila were in search of lessons that would capture their students’ attention span, be visually pleasing, fun and engaging. That’s when they stumbled on the WCC puppy cam on Explore.org and introduced it to the class. They posted links to the puppy cam on the students’ Google Classroom, where students and parents access their daily lessons. And now, it’s become part of their daily routine.
“The first thing the kids do each morning is check on the puppy playroom and the nursery,” said Hannah. “It’s been really fun to take in their thoughts. Everything they say to me is very quirky and funny because of their age. When all the puppies are sleeping on top of each other, the kids always make comments like ‘get your foot out of my ear’, ‘how are you sleeping like that — isn’t that uncomfortable?”
Hannah says watching the puppies isn’t just about fun and games, it’s also been a great lesson in age and development.
“The class decided that when they first started watching the puppy cam, the puppies were in pre-school,” said Hannah. “After several weeks, they decided they look like third–graders. They make lots of comments on how quickly they’re growing.”
Last week, each pup in Diamond’s Litter has since been placed with their new puppy parents, WCC volunteers who will care for them during their training for up to the next two years.
Hanna says she is grateful that the puppy cam is available to help entertain, educate and touch the hearts of their students. She says they’re also looking forward to watching WCC litters in the future.
“As an adult, my co-teacher and I really appreciate what the organization is doing,” said Hannah. “I’ve had service family members and I think it’s an awesome way to show what you’re doing by using the webcam. It’s really cool because it’s providing an inside look on something we normally wouldn’t have insight on.”
Check Out The Puppies In Training That Have Become A Virtual Hit | Nightly News: Kids Edition
May 26, 2020 – We’ve all been doing a lot of binge-watching lately. One of our favorites is Warrior Canine Connection‘s puppy cam, where you can watch future service dogs sleeping, playing and learning.
Watch the story on WCC’s puppy cam on Explore.org in this episode of NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition here (the segment on WCC begins at 10:52).
New Faces at WCC
Warrior Canine Connection has two new team members who we would like to introduce to you. Please join us in welcoming both Cate Law and MaryAngela Leifeld to our pack!
Cate Law joined the WCC team in March in a brand-new role — Canine Care and Enrichment Coordinator. In this newly designed position, Cate will support the service dog training program by providing daily mental and physical exercises to the dogs who are being housed at the training center. This will ensure that the pups are well-rounded and cared for, allowing the training staff to focus their time and energy on each dog’s behavioral training plans.
“I’m thrilled to be taking this next step and to be working with WCC,” said Cate. “WCC has the most unique mission by not only placing dogs with Veterans but involving them in the mission, and I am so excited to be a part of that.”
Cate comes to WCC as a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, where she received her bachelor’s in Persian Studies. She discovered her passion for service dogs as a volunteer puppy raiser for a guide dog organization while still in college, and she even helped to get a puppy–raising club off the ground at the University.
In the past three years, she has taught numerous classes for puppy raisers and started a financial support program for puppy raisers of service dog training programs that do not cover all costs of the puppy. She is currently raising her third puppy for another organization, Sage, a female Lab/golden cross, who you may see making friends around WCC! Cate says she hopes to raise a WCC puppy in the future.
When not working, Cate enjoys spending time hiking, exploring Maryland, trying new restaurants and spending time with friends.
MaryAngela recently joined WCC as a service dog training instructor and will be based out the Boyds, Md. headquarters. She joined the team in early May during the pandemic, so her acclimation has been anything but “normal” since all trainings are taking place 100% virtually. However, MaryAngela says she’s settling in well, learning the ropes and that she’s happy to be part of the team nonetheless.
“It’s a unique time to have started a new position but everyone has been truly welcoming and great in terms of making sure I’ve got what I need, know what I need to do and get settled in,” said MaryAngela. “I’m really excited to be part of such a cool program that has such a focused mission in support of our Veterans.”
MaryAngela has been working with assistance and service dogs for years. She got her start by volunteering to raise and train assistance dogs years ago while in middle school and has been hooked ever since.
In fact, in college, she majored in radio-television-film but dogs ultimately won her over, and she became a full-time service dog training instructor, specializing in training dogs to provide greater independence for individuals with disabilities.
Most recently, she worked in the private dog training sector, where she developed a broader knowledge of puppy development and the modification of complex behavioral issues by aiding pet dog owners to achieve their training goals.
When not working, MaryAngela and her wife, who have two dogs and a cat, enjoying hobbies that revolve around their pets such as training and hiking.
Please join us in welcoming both Cate and MaryAngela to our pack!
A Round of A-Paws for WCC Volunteer Karen Chiu
A WCC service dog-in-training, Frank is a one-year-old Golden Retriever — the sixth WCC dog that Karen has helped train. And the sixth to capture her heart.
“There’s just something about dogs…they’re loyal, they always have love for you, they’re always happy to see you and there’s never any judgment with dogs,” says Karen. “They see a human, they love them, and they are always there for them.”
First came Jenny. Then Katie. Then Lisa, who was followed by Greg and then Tommy. And now, of course, Frank, or “Frankie” as Karen calls him.
Like so many of WCC’s volunteers, Karen discovered WCC through the Explore.org puppy cam back in 2015. Shortly after, she found out about its Menlo Park location in California, started volunteering, and has been hooked ever since.
“I love the work that WCC is doing here in Calif., where the dogs are working with Veterans almost daily,” said Karen. “It’s really awesome to hear their stories, even from those who help train the dogs. It’s so awesome to hear how these dogs are changing their lives and see the impact they’re having on them.”
Besides helping to care, feed and train six dogs, Karen’s attached her name to numerous other events to help WCC, including past graduations and fundraising events. All WCC has to do is cite the need, and Karen’s name can be found on the list of those willing to help.
“Karen is a great source of historical dog information and she plays a huge role in supporting the West Coast WCC site,” said Alexis Baker, California Program Manager. “She’s an incredibly experienced puppy parent, and willing to go the extra mile for her dogs in whatever ways they need. She’s also an amazing social media maven and has single–handedly fulfilled our Wishlist twice in the last 12 months. Because of her and her amazing skills, we have access to a lot of supplies for our dogs and veterans to use during training.”
Together, Karen and Frank are continuing their WCC service dog training virtually. Although they attend their weekly classes via computer, Karen senses “Frankie” is missing his in-person interaction with the Veterans with which he regularly works.
“He recognizes people on the calls — his ears perk up when he hears their voices,” says Karen. “He’s such a social fellow, there’s no doubt he’s missing that regular close connection he had with the Veterans.”
Both Karen and Frank hope it’s just a matter of time until they’re able to return to in-person training but, in the meantime, they’re subscribing to their training schedule and enjoy sharing some of their new lessons, at-home adventures and antics on Frank’s Facebook page.
Thank you, Karen, for sharing your time, talents and treasures with WCC!
Stanford student-veterans connect with canines
Stanford student-veterans are continuing their service to others by volunteering to train dogs to be service companions through Warrior Canine Connection.
May 21, 2020 – After serving in America’s armed forces, Stanford’s student-veterans shifted their focus to academia and research. But since arriving on the Farm, some have continued to heed the call to serve with help from some animal companions. Read the complete story in the Stanford News here.
WCC Service Dog-in-Training Scores a Page in a Maryland Middle School Yearbook
Middle school teacher Pat O’Connell, who was a puppy parent to Andrew, meaning she was a volunteer who helped raise, train and care for him for several months, brought him to school every day from September – December 2019.
“The kids took having Andrew in class very seriously,” said Pat. “They understood he was in training and some students already had experience with a service dog. Most did their best to ignore him, others couldn’t help but stare at him because he was so cute.”
A yellow Labrador/Golden Retriever mix, Andrew, like all dogs in WCC’s training program, is being groomed to become a service dog to assist a Veteran who has visible and invisible wounds.
Classes at St. Jude let out in December for the holiday break, and when students came back to school in January, they were sad to learn Andrew was not.
Due to Andrew’s intelligence, eagerness to please and love of training, WCC service dog instructors decided he was best suited to continue his learning at WCC’s Denver, Colorado program location at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where he spends his days learning and training with Service Members and Veterans who have traumatic brain injuries (TBI). On-site training has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic but Andrew and other service dogs at MIBH are still participating in virtual classes online.
Pat says students know Andrew moved on to train for a greater purpose, yet he made such an impact on them in the brief time he was there, that’s why they decided to include him as a highlight in their yearbook.
“Everyone at the school knew of Andrew,” said Pat. “He was in our classroom, could be seen walking up and down the hallways by my side, at recess and at dismissal each day. He was so happy, well-mannered and lovable, and he managed to reach the hearts of everyone he met.”
ISI Demolition Helps Warrior Canine Connection Remove Barriers for Barn Renovation Project
This month, Warrior Canine Connection came 4,000 tons closer to its large barn renovation project taking shape. The centerpiece of its headquarters, the iconic Schaeffer Farm dairy barn, is getting a major overhaul to transform the 1930s-era structure into a new facility needed to breed, train and place future service dogs.
As scenic as the farm is, there were many tons of concrete that had been dumped on the property over the years, as well as concrete pads that flanked older buildings no longer standing. In order to upgrade the utilities, install proper storm water runoff and adjust the grade of the land around the barn, most of the concrete had to go. The debris was not only unsightly, it also presented a major obstacle to the barn renovation, that is, until ISI Demolition got involved.
Based out of White Marsh, Maryland, ISI Demolition has been overseeing demolition projects for 29 years. After finding out about WCC’s needs following the February tornado, ISI graciously offered its services to WCC pro-bono.
“We knew there was a tremendous amount of concrete that had to be removed for the barn renovation project to continue on,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “Quite frankly, we were concerned about the cost to get this work done and how that would impact our construction efforts. In two short weeks, the ISI team did amazing work and removed a huge barrier that has enabled us to move on to the next phase in the barn renovation process. Thank you, ISI!”
Not only did the ISI team demo 4,290 tons of concrete, but they also crushed it into gravel so it can be repurposed for some grading projects around the barn and under the floor of the soon-to-be new kennel space.
“Our organization is honored to partner with Warrior Canine Connection,” said Dino Trombetta, president, ISI Demolition. “It gives us great pride to serve those who serve our country by supporting WCC’s mission and goals. Anytime we can offer our services to such a noble organization, we will.”
In all, the ISI team spent 153 hours on-site at WCC, spanning two weeks. With two hard-working operators, they processed a total of 4,290 tons of concrete and mobilized three pieces of equipment, along with the crusher, to complete the project.
“We were privileged to offer our services and pleased to leave a product onsite that will be reused for the new Warrior Canine Connection Headquarters,” said Jake Stocksdale, project manager, ISI Demolition. “It was a pleasure working with WCC and lend a helping hand to those who help our service veterans.”
Over the past year, WCC has completed some modest renovations, including the restoration of the gables on both ends of the barn. Now, with the concrete removed, more extensive site preparation and infrastructure work can begin. Final layout plans are in progress and WCC anticipates that permitting will soon be underway. The entire project has been a collaborative one, with WCC getting much-needed assistance from Montgomery County, the State of Maryland, and incredible corporate friends, like ISI, who have generously shared their valuable expertise, time and manpower.