Warrior Stories
Danny and Eli: Soldiering on Together
If you’re looking for Danny Farrar, it’s likely you’ll find him at one of his 14 SOLDIERFIT gyms. He opened the string of gyms with his first location a little over a decade ago. In addition to Danny, you’ll likely see his service dog Eli, a yellow Lab from WCC’s Welcome Home Litter who is his trusty confidant and is usually within arm’s reach. Besides a […]
Veteran Spotlight: Kody & Derek
When Kody Jorgensen’s wife, Quatie, approached him with the idea of getting a service dog, he wasn’t sure that it was for him. ‘How will it help?’ and ‘Will it create more work for me?” were among Kody’s questions and concerns. Five years later, and Kody says he can’t imagine his life without black Lab and Warrior Canine Connection service dog Derek. “It’s a different […]
Kevin and Clifford: From Cap & Gown to Courtroom
Kevin and his trusty pal Clifford, a Warrior Canine Connection facility dog, are just one of the Veteran Service Dog Teams that graduated in September as part of Warrior Canine Connection’s class of 2019. The two have been training and working together for almost two years but recently, Clifford’s leash was passed to Kevin, marking […]
Why Dogs Work: The Science of the Warrior Canine Connection
By Meg Daley Olmert Despite the tens of billions of dollars being spent on Veteran health care, many Veterans continue to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In a 2011 editorial in the Journal of the America Medical Association, military medical researcher, Charles Hoge M.D., summed up the efficacy of […]
Dogs Making a Difference: Ryan & Luke
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 […]
Sam and Rachael: Together Every Step of the Way
Retired Army Chemical Technician Samuel Smith can’t imagine his life without service dog Rachael, a four-year-old Golden Retriever. “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 […]
