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.
During one walk, a neighbor nicknamed Barb “Sugar-Coated Angel,” and Sandy says it has stuck. A Golden Retriever, Barb has a beautiful, long white coat. Not just that, Sandy says she’s been a true angel in her life.
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.
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.
Sam and Rachael: Together Every Step of the Way
“She makes me more outgoing, more willing to talk to people,” says Sam. “I used to be a real introvert and didn’t want to be around people — was lost in my own head. Because she’s so cute, she attracts a lot of attention, people ask questions, want to meet her and she interests so many — it’s made me much more outgoing.”
Rachael also helps Sam with day-to-day activities that cause him pain due to a back injury while he was in the Army. From helping to brace him as he gets up and sits down in a chair, to picking up items for him, she helps provide relief to Sam on a daily basis.
“We are very attached… my wife refers to her as my second wife — she means a lot to me. At this point, I’d feel lost without her at my side. We’ve been inseparable since we’ve been matched,” says Sam.
In fact, Rachael has become something of a celebrity in Sam’s hometown of Middletown, Connecticut; she not only appeared in a local bank’s poster to promote service dog awareness, she’s also known by name at the stores she and Sam frequent.
“People recognize her almost everywhere I go. Whether it’s Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Home Depot or Lowes, they all know her by name. I’m just the guy with Rachael.”
You can follow their adventures on Facebook @WCC’s Rachael.
Rick Yount, WCC founder and ED, Presents at 3rd Annual West Virginia Conference on Trauma Brain Injury
“I am so delighted to have the opportunity to be here in West Virginia and speak at this conference again,” said Yount. “The amount of practical knowledge, expertise on TBI and resources available to survivors and their family members is really impressive and underscores the availability of options, treatment and, most importantly, hope for the recovery for our Veterans with TBI.”
Themed “From Surviving to Thriving: Growth After a TBI,” topics being covered during the three-day conference center on improving communication, sexual health following a TBI, rehabilitation efforts, self-advocacy, behavioral health and substance abuse, among many other topics.
Of course, Rick’s talk centered on the use of its Mission Based Trauma Recovery training model, whereby Warriors in recovery are enlisted to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans. The training process and subsequent placement of highly trained service dogs can both serve as valuable tools in the TBI recovery process.
The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program at the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities is proud to serve as the state’s designated lead agency for the coordination of services for West Virginians with TBI. The TBI Program is a collaboration between the state funded Traumatic Brain Injury Services and the federally funded Traumatic Brain Injury Implementation Partnership Grant. TBI is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the brain’s function. In West Virginia, anoxia due to near drowning is also considered a traumatic brain injury. To date, no other forms of anoxia are considered traumatic in nature in West Virginia.
Learn more about the TBI Program at the WVC Center for Excellence in Disabilities here.
Be a Hero for a Hero Raise a Future Service Dog
March 5, 2019 – Interested in helping veterans who have sacrificed so much for all of us? One way is to volunteer as a puppy parent with Warrior Canine Connection, a local nonprofit that breeds, trains, and places much-needed service dogs with veterans with visible and invisible wounds. Find out about current volunteer opportunities featured in Montgomery County Volunteer Center’s March newsletter.
Spotlight on Excellence: Warrior Canine Connection
Special Edition 2019: If you work at the VA Central Office (VACO), you might have noticed some furry visitors in the lobby every third Friday of the month since last summer. These pups are part of Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), a nonprofit organization that enlists Veterans in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans. Read the complete article in the VA’s Spotlight on Excellence.