Ryan Garrison is many things to many people. He’s a husband to beloved wife, Julie. A father of two. Retired U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant E5. And most recently, a college graduate; this spring, Ryan completed his degree in organizational leadership from Wright State University. And soon, he will be the president of a nonprofit he’s launching to help Veterans like himself.
Ryan Garrison enlisted in the U.S. Air Force right after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11. He was a self-described “floundering” fifth-year senior in college working on his third major at the time and was planning on joining the Reserves, but that fateful day compelled him to change his course. He dropped out of school to enlist in the Air Force, where he served until 2016, including three deployments.
Ryan comes from a family steeped in military tradition: his grandfather was in World War II; his other grandfather — Vietnam; his brother is a Master Sergeant E7 in the Air Force; his uncles and cousins have all served in different branches of the Armed Forces. So, the career move felt like a natural fit for Ryan, only it was shorter lived than originally planned.
In 2006, Ryan was in Iraq working on the flight line. He was working on the K-loader, essentially a cargo lift, and while inspecting the load, a sheep farmer who had been paid by local insurgents, ran up and shot an RPG over the fence, which hit the K-loader and the blast was so hard, it blew Ryan off the vehicle. He sustained serious injuries, including fractured and torn disks in his back, which have resulted in numerous surgeries, chronic pain and anxiety.
His wife, Julie, who, at the time, was a music therapist at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), suggested Ryan explore getting a service dog. Ryan says he saw fellow Veterans there helping to train service dogs, as well as how WCC service dog Cadence had impacted his friend Rod and his family for the better, so he decided to apply for a dog through WCC.
“I wanted to find another way to deal with the issues I was going through, so I learned a lot about the service dog program,” said Ryan. “I learned all I could, but it wasn’t until I witnessed others with the dogs firsthand that I really realized their power.”
Enter Luke, a handsome black Lab and trained mobility service dog. He was paired with Ryan in 2016 and the two have been virtually inseparable ever since.
“I really can’t say enough about what Warrior Canine Connection and my service dog Luke have done for me,” said Ryan. “Thanks to Luke, my anxiety is under control, I’ve significantly decreased the medication I take, and he’s really helped me with my mobility. It’s not just that though — since being matched with Luke, I have a whole different outlook on life — a positive one.”
Garrison’s wife, Julie, couldn’t agree more. She says Luke isn’t just man’s best friend, but a member of their family, and that their two sons, Mitchell and Maxwell, simply adore him.
“He’s [Luke] just like one of my children… sometimes it’s a toss–up for who listens the best, sometimes it’s Luke, somethings it’s Mitchell, and sometimes it’s Maxwell,” said Julie. “Although, as great as he is, I don’t always trust him with unsupervised food (laughter). His [Ryan’s] dry wit that I fell in love with years ago has returned. It’s just joyful now — because of that soft presence of Luke.”
In fact, Ryan says his experience with Luke and Warrior Canine Connection partially inspired his next challenge — Valor Therapeutics, a nonprofit he and Julie will soon be launching to serve active duty Service Members, Veterans and first responders in Dayton, Ohio and the surrounding area. They plan to provide alternative forms of therapy to individuals who’ve seen and experienced trauma, such as music, art and movement therapies.
“I was inspired by my experience with Warrior Canine Connection,” said Ryan. “To receive a service dog at no cost to me, with no expectations of me and it was a stress-free process… we want to provide something similar to Veterans through our nonprofit.”
Ryan adds that he one day hopes to add a therapy dog to the offerings that Valor Therapeutics will provide.
A Passion for Service
Paul takes great joy in cooking for others and has been roasting pigs for different occasions for almost two decades. Knowing a few hundred people would show up for eye exam day, he proposed a pig roast to help feed the masses. He says it’s always a process of trial and error and that the 96-pounder he cooked up for eye exam day was no different.
“We dug a pit, and, with the rain, it flooded, so we came out to reconstruct it at 11 last night and move it over to higher ground, so that was a first,” said Paul. “Every time you change something, you have to think through the whole process, and you learn something new, which makes it a challenge, but it’s really a lot of fun. I really enjoy doing it, people really like it and seem to appreciate it.”
That “fun” included a tent for refuge; Paul, some other volunteers and WCC staff members all took shifts throughout the entire night tending to the fire, to ensure the rain didn’t put a damper on the flames. Fourteen hours later, more than 40 pounds of roasted pork were dished out to hungry eye exam attendees.
“Paul is just a wonderful person who loves our organization and mission,” said Sarah Olson, WCC volunteer coordinator. “He is always willing to give whatever he can, whenever he can — and he always does it with a smile.”
Paul’s not just known around WCC for his cooking, he and his wife, Susan, have been great friends and supporters of WCC for several years. They began volunteering with WCC as puppy parents. Susan, who retired a few years back, learned about WCC while she was at a store and met another puppy parent who had a service dog in training with her. First came Ashley. Then Moon. And now, Paul and Susan are puppy parents to one-year-old, service dog in training J.J.
“Being a puppy parent is a good challenge,” said Paul. “I think when they’re puppies, they’re like having another child. It’s also introduced me to a lot of friends I wouldn’t have otherwise. This family at WCC is just incredible — all the volunteers, the staff, we all just have a good time.”
Paul says all the hard work and fun times pale in comparison to the ultimate goal of the program.
“It’s incredible just seeing how the dogs can impact lives at the graduation ceremony,” said Paul. “The change they can bring to a Veteran’s life is just incredible — not just the Veterans but also their families, it’s amazing.”
Thank you, Paul, for your incredible service and support to WCC!
Dogs Making a Difference: Ryan & Luke
Ryan Garrison enlisted in the U.S. Air Force right after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11. He was a self-described “floundering” fifth-year senior in college working on his third major at the time and was planning on joining the Reserves, but that fateful day compelled him to change his course. He dropped out of school to enlist in the Air Force, where he served until 2016, including three deployments.
Ryan comes from a family steeped in military tradition: his grandfather was in World War II; his other grandfather — Vietnam; his brother is a Master Sergeant E7 in the Air Force; his uncles and cousins have all served in different branches of the Armed Forces. So, the career move felt like a natural fit for Ryan, only it was shorter lived than originally planned.
In 2006, Ryan was in Iraq working on the flight line. He was working on the K-loader, essentially a cargo lift, and while inspecting the load, a sheep farmer who had been paid by local insurgents, ran up and shot an RPG over the fence, which hit the K-loader and the blast was so hard, it blew Ryan off the vehicle. He sustained serious injuries, including fractured and torn disks in his back, which have resulted in numerous surgeries, chronic pain and anxiety.
His wife, Julie, who, at the time, was a music therapist at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), suggested Ryan explore getting a service dog. Ryan says he saw fellow Veterans there helping to train service dogs, as well as how WCC service dog Cadence had impacted his friend Rod and his family for the better, so he decided to apply for a dog through WCC.
“I wanted to find another way to deal with the issues I was going through, so I learned a lot about the service dog program,” said Ryan. “I learned all I could, but it wasn’t until I witnessed others with the dogs firsthand that I really realized their power.”
Enter Luke, a handsome black Lab and trained mobility service dog. He was paired with Ryan in 2016 and the two have been virtually inseparable ever since.
“I really can’t say enough about what Warrior Canine Connection and my service dog Luke have done for me,” said Ryan. “Thanks to Luke, my anxiety is under control, I’ve significantly decreased the medication I take, and he’s really helped me with my mobility. It’s not just that though — since being matched with Luke, I have a whole different outlook on life — a positive one.”
Garrison’s wife, Julie, couldn’t agree more. She says Luke isn’t just man’s best friend, but a member of their family, and that their two sons, Mitchell and Maxwell, simply adore him.
“He’s [Luke] just like one of my children… sometimes it’s a toss–up for who listens the best, sometimes it’s Luke, somethings it’s Mitchell, and sometimes it’s Maxwell,” said Julie. “Although, as great as he is, I don’t always trust him with unsupervised food (laughter). His [Ryan’s] dry wit that I fell in love with years ago has returned. It’s just joyful now — because of that soft presence of Luke.”
In fact, Ryan says his experience with Luke and Warrior Canine Connection partially inspired his next challenge — Valor Therapeutics, a nonprofit he and Julie will soon be launching to serve active duty Service Members, Veterans and first responders in Dayton, Ohio and the surrounding area. They plan to provide alternative forms of therapy to individuals who’ve seen and experienced trauma, such as music, art and movement therapies.
“I was inspired by my experience with Warrior Canine Connection,” said Ryan. “To receive a service dog at no cost to me, with no expectations of me and it was a stress-free process… we want to provide something similar to Veterans through our nonprofit.”
Ryan adds that he one day hopes to add a therapy dog to the offerings that Valor Therapeutics will provide.
BI Cares Foundation Donates $50,000 to WCC Through Viral “Power of Us” Campaign to Support Veterans
“Pets are love.” “For the Mission.” “Together. Inspire. Win.”
Those were just a few of the more than 700 submissions of posts and photos shared through Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation’s (BI Cares) “Power of Us” social media campaign. In May, BI Cares donated $50,000 to Warrior Canine Connection through the campaign.
A nonprofit created to improve the health and lives of people and animals, BI Cares encouraged the public to post what the “Power of Us” meant to them by sharing a meaningful or inspirational photo and a few words on social media. Spread over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the campaign resulted in more than 700 posts utilizing the campaign hashtag, #PowerOfUs. BI Cares provided a monetary donation for each post for a grand total of $50,000 to WCC.
“BI Cares is an amazing supporter that is making a real difference in the lives of our Veterans and their beloved service dogs who support them,” said Rick Yount, executive director and founder, Warrior Canine Connection. “The Foundation has demonstrated a true commitment to not only improving human and animal health but also to a culture of giving back, and we are immensely thankful for their support.”
As you can see from some of the screenshots, the outpouring was overwhelming; posts included photos of Veterans with their dogs, people with their pets and, of course, WCC supporters and volunteers from all over the country.
“Part of what drives Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation is the belief that people and animals share a fundamental bond — a bond that inspires passion, companionship and a meaningful connection,” said Karen Iannella, president, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation. “To demonstrate our commitment to this bond, we chose to partner with Warrior Canine Connection, whose work aligns with our mission to improve the health and lives of people and animals.”
Visit @BoehringerIngelheim on Facebook or use #PowerOfUs to see the complete campaign photos and posts.
Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation Donates $50,000 to WCC Through Viral “Power of Us” Campaign to Support Veterans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2019
BOYDS, Maryland –Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation (BI Cares) has generously donated $50,000 to Warrior Canine Connection to help support programs to breed, train and pair service dogs with Veterans with visible and invisible wounds. The funds were raised through the BI Cares social media campaign, “Power of Us,” a collective effort designed to make a significant impact on human and animal patients.
Through the campaign, BI Cares encouraged the public to post what the “Power of Us” meant to them by sharing a meaningful or inspirational photo and a few words on social media. The campaign elicited more than 700 social media posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms utilizing the #PowerOfUs. BI Cares provided a monetary donation for each post for a grand total of $50,000 to WCC.
“BI Cares is an amazing supporter that is making a real difference in the lives of our Veterans and their beloved service dogs who support them,” said Rick Yount, executive director and founder, Warrior Canine Connection. “The Foundation has demonstrated a true commitment to not only improving human and animal health but also to a culture of giving back, and we are immensely thankful for their support.”
Of the more than 700 photos and posts, notable expressions shared include:
“Pets are love”
“For the mission”
“Veterans in need”
“Driving ideas forward”
“Together. Inspire. Win.”
“Part of what drives Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation is the belief that people and animals share a fundamental bond — a bond that inspires passion, companionship and a meaningful connection,” said Karen Iannella, president, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation. “To demonstrate our commitment to this bond, we chose to partner with Warrior Canine Connection, whose work aligns with our mission to improve the health and lives of people and animals.”
Visit @BoehringerIngelheim or use #PowerOfUs to see the complete campaign photos and posts.
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 the Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation
Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation is a nonprofit foundation with a mission to improve the health and lives of people and animals. We improve patient access to medicines and healthcare and enhance STEM education with a focus on the underserved. We provide financial support to community programs that align with our goals and engage employees who volunteer their time and skills to amplify our contributions.
Veteran’s furry friends get their annual eye exam with Warrior Canine Connections
May 11, 2019 – ROCKVILLE, Md. – “She’s like a little sister,” says US army veteran Tim O’Boyle about his six-year-old Golden Retriever Sandy.
She’s not just any Golden Retriever. Her mission is to help O’Boyle by providing therapy for his sometimes paralyzing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder attacks that include flashbacks from when he served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Watch the complete story on LocalDVM.com here.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Volunteers
Dear Friends,
There’s an adage that says, “One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time,” and I couldn’t agree more. Being that April marks Volunteer Appreciation Month, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have given so generously of your time and talents to help WCC fulfill its mission. We simply couldn’t do what we do without your support — you are extraordinary!
In fact, I’d like to show you the impact that all our volunteers have on our organization. This infographic showcases a few key stats from 2018.
As you can see, volunteers spent more than 50,000 hours (more than 50,000!) volunteering on behalf of WCC last year. That’s nothing short of amazing! Approximately 40,000 of those hours are spent by our Puppy Parents – helping to train future service dogs. What isn’t taken into account are the almost two years they spend helping to raise our amazing pups — caring for, feeding, transporting and nurturing these wonderful future service dogs in training.
All these numbers are impressive and impactful but what you can’t quantify are the life-changing relationships that have been built through our volunteer network, the friendships, caring and compassion and true “connections” that enable us to do our jobs and provide the much-needed support to our Veterans in need. That’s a true intangible, and it wouldn’t be possible without all of you.
Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unwavering support and dedication to WCC and our nation’s Veterans.
Sincerely,
Rick Yount
Boeing Employees Learn Service Dog Training Fundamentals
The class, led by WCC’s Executive Director and Founder Rick Yount, included a demonstration of how the service dogs help Veterans and even included a hands-on session, where Boeing team members learned basic commands and how to recognize stress cue alerts.
“It was a fantastic experience to have our partners from Boeing on-site to learn about what we do, how we do it and, in turn, for us to show them how their support helps us serve our Veterans,” said Yount. “It’s really impressive how Boeing takes an active interest in the organizations it supports. Boeing is a true champion for Veterans and has taken a leadership role in bringing awareness to military mental health as an issue that needs continued support.”
The master class was just the most recent show of support for WCC by Boeing’s team. The company recently contributed a generous gift of $100,000 to support WCC’s mission and help future Service Members and Veterans. WCC is one of 443 nonprofit organizations in 47 countries receiving grant funding from Boeing. In 2019 alone, Boeing will devote $13 million for Veterans’ recovery and rehabilitation programs and workforce transition service, in addition to the other program areas it supports.
“At Boeing, our people have unique skills and a passion for making a difference in the world, said Sarah Kyrouac, manager of Boeing Global Engagement. “That includes devoting their time and financial resources to causes that help ease veterans recovery and rehabilitation and transition back to civilian life. We’re proud to partner with Warrior Canine Connection to help those wounded warriors reconnect with their families, their communities, and each other.”
Sugar-Coated Angel Making Life So Much Sweeter
Army Veteran Sandy Wilson and husband Nick have lived in their current neighborhood for 25 years. It wasn’t until last year that Sandy got to know her neighbors. That’s when she was paired with her service dog Barb, and they began walking together every morning.
Trained as Military Police (MP) at Fort McClellan, Alabama (which has since closed), Sandy took the opportunity to participate in One Station Unit Training, where she graduated second in her Company. In fact, Sandy was one of the first women to train and graduate as a combat MP in the ‘70s.
After serving at Fort Bragg with the 65th MP Company, Sandy then joined the National Guard and served with the 29th Light Infantry Division at Fort Belvoir. During that same timeframe, she attended Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to study police science and trained loss prevention personnel for major retail companies — all while also raising a toddler.
Sandy took a break from law enforcement and passed her real estate broker’s exam in West Virginia and spent several years selling homes. She says some years passed between careers and there was no denying that she needed help from Veterans Affairs. A doctor recommended a service dog, so she applied for a dog through Warrior Canine Connection. The process took a little while, but Sandy says it was well worth it and that she couldn’t imagine a better match than she has in Barb.
“The career path I chose took its toll on me,” says Sandy. “It used to be hard to be in public and in large groups — and still sometimes is — but Barb has helped me release past pain. She has enhanced my life and my husband’s… I can’t imagine my life without her.”
Every day, their routine is to spend some time training together so Barb will be prepared for next year’s public access test (it’s annual test to evaluate and ensure all service dogs remain compliant with the skills and techniques required for public access). Sandy says Barb loves her training time, because “there’s lots of treats and hugs for a job well done.”
Barb also enjoys spending lots of time with Sandy and Nick’s daughter and her husband, Nicole and Mike, and their granddaughter, Tori, along with their dog, Jake. Barb and Jake have become fast friends and can often be found enjoying the outdoors together.
Since becoming a team last year, Sandy says her “Sugar-Coated Angel” has helped her spark many a conversation, open many other doors and, generally, has just made life much *sweeter* overall.
School Service Project Sparks Passion
Shira’s high school, Holton-Arms, requires all students to complete a community service project to graduate. The 50 hours have come and gone but, sure enough, every Monday afternoon, Shira can be found at the WCC Healing Quarters completing any task asked of her.
A close family friend, who Shira affectionately refers to as her “uncle,” served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Marine Corps and has since struggled with post-traumatic stress. She says his experience, as well as his commitment to service, are part of what inspired her to donate her time to WCC.
“Volunteering at WCC is the perfect combination of helping Veterans and my love of dogs,” says Shira. “Seeing the bond that’s created between Veterans and these service dogs is absolutely amazing.”
Shira’s classmates volunteer for many other great organizations but she is the only student who gets to work with service dogs in training. Shira learned about the opportunity through a friend who had previously was volunteering to puppy pet and Shira said she knew it was where she wanted to get involved.
“I love WCC’s mission and have always possessed a natural comfort working with animals, especially dogs,” says Shira. “I have always found dogs to be animals that desire companionship and are able to give love. When they receive those things from humans they tend to reciprocate and form a real bond. I think companionship is a huge part of why dogs connect so well with humans, they are such social animals.”
Shira has two dogs of her own and says she has been astounded by the time, practice and patience that goes into all the training.
“I wish I could spend more time with trainers because my dogs could definitely use some lessons,” says Shira. “I have learned that it takes a lot of time and dedication to get a dog ready for this kind of service.”
She’s got a few years to figure it out, but Shira says there’s no doubt she wants to pursue a career that involves working with dogs and other animals.
Thank you, Shira!
New Faces at WCC
Warrior Canine Connection is pleased to introduce you to two new team members. Please join us in welcoming…
No stranger to the military, Sarah is married is Mike, a 21-year Army Veteran, and they and their four daughters have lived all over the country, including Fort Bragg, Fort Knox, Fort Drum, Madison, Wisconsin and Fort Belvoir.
After multiple deployments, one of their daughters began wrestling with severe anxiety, which led her family to apply for a military family support dog from WCC. They were paired with Black Lab Stacey, who graduated in WCC 2018 class.
“Stacey has transformed our family,” says Sarah. “The unconditional love that she has brought to our family, how she loves my daughter and all of us — no matter what — has been absolutely life-changing for us. I am a WCC advocate now turned staff member and consider it a true privilege to now get to help others.”
Sarah received her degree in elementary education from Western Kentucky University and comes to WCC after teaching kindergarten for three years. Throughout the years, she also helped create and manage several military and school volunteer programs.
Meet Amy Guidash. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Amy runs the WCC service dog training program in conjunction with Buncombe County’s Veterans Treatment Court.
Amy can routinely be found in the courtroom with her lovable sidekick Clifford, a Golden Retriever from the Greatest Generation litter. Together, they provide training instruction and outings for Veterans involved in the legal system. She says the program has been such a success, several Veterans who’ve already completed their community service hours continue to volunteer with WCC’s program simply because they love it.
And so does Amy.
“Having a background in mental health, I went through a lot with a lot of people,” said Amy. “The progress and impact you see when people interact with the dogs are amazing; you can see them make these automatic connections, and that’s something that’s hard to find in mental health because it’s a long-term process. With dogs, you can often see the light bulbs go on and see an immediate connection. It’s an absolute passion of mine to take the two worlds and use them together for the greater good.”
Amy has a Master’s in marriage and family therapy from Seton Hill University. She is married and has two daughters.