The Jimmy Stewart Museum celebrated its 30th anniversary on Saturday, and in attendance was one of Jimmy’s daughters and the service dog that bears his name. Check out the full story from WCCS Radio here.
When Army Veteran Jonathon Kohl woke up in a hospital bed in 2013, doctors told his parents he would likely never walk again. He had survived a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan—just four months into his deployment and three years into his military career. The traumatic brain injury he sustained, along with other physical wounds, erased his memories and changed the course of his life forever.
Jonathon doesn’t remember the crash. In fact, he has limited memories of his life before it. But what he does remember is what’s come since—especially the impact of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and Warrior Canine Connection (WCC).
Jonathon is an active participant in WWP’s Independence Program, which provides long-term support for Veterans with moderate-to-severe brain injuries. Through the program, he receives help with transportation, attends music and art therapy and participates in adaptive sports like rock climbing, Soldier Ride and his personal favorite—golf.
“I won’t say I’m any good, it’s just for fun,” shared Jonathon.
The Independence Program not only supports Jonathon with connections, appointments and daily needs—it also gives his parents, Micha and Paul, a much-needed break to focus on their own responsibilities and well-being.
Jonathon also regularly attends WWP’s virtual peer support groups and finds connection and motivation among other Warriors walking similar paths.
It was through WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program that Jonathon met Hutton, the dog who would become his constant companion and a key part of his healing journey—providing daily support, comfort and stability. Veterans in the program help train service dogs for fellow Warriors, and Jonathon and Hutton officially graduated as a WCC Veteran Service Dog Team in 2022.
“He’s very loyal,” says Jonathon. “He predicts things I need and does them without me asking—like picking up dropped items or getting my cane. He’s given me another responsibility. I think about him more than myself sometimes.”
The match has been life-changing, not only for Jonathon but for his entire family. His parents Micha and Paul, who have been active in his recovery since the accident and took over as his full-time caregivers after his divorce, also went through WCC’s advanced handler training so they could better support “Team Hutton.”
“He now has responsibilities,” said Paul. “He makes sure Hutton is fed, and we team up for baths and nail trims. Hutton’s become a big part of our lives.”
Jonathon’s involvement with WCC didn’t stop at graduation. He continues to participate in MBTR and helps socialize future service dogs, giving back to the community that has given him so much.
In recognition of his perseverance and spirit, Jonathon was honored as the first recipient of WCC’s “Spirit of Gabe” award at the organization’s inaugural Ruff Mudder event. When he’s not working with Hutton or training other dogs, you might find him lifting weights or hanging out with the drone club at Walter Reed.
The road hasn’t been easy. But through WWP, WCC and the loyalty of a dog named Hutton, Jonathon Kohl has found healing, independence and a renewed sense of purpose.
To hear Jonathon talk about his relationship with Hutton, visit https://youtu.be/D-FuoOj5Mu0?si=m8d6MXWZVvGDDqGd.
Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project’s Veteran programs and support here.
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BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is proud to announce continued support from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) through a grant to advance its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program. This year marks a decade of partnership between WCC and HIF—a collaboration that has helped bring innovative, community-based mental health programming to Veterans in Montgomery County since 2015. Through HIF’s sustained support, WCC has expanded its reach and impact, offering Veterans a powerful path to healing through the human-animal bond.
“We are grateful to the Healthcare Initiative Foundation for its steadfast support of our MBTR program,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director of Warrior Canine Connection. “This partnership has helped us bring meaningful, evidence-informed support to Montgomery County’s Veterans. With HIF’s continued investment, we’re able to bring the healing power of the human-animal bond to even more Warriors—and help them rediscover a sense of purpose through service to others.”
With support from HIF, WCC launched its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic in Silver Spring in 2020. The goal was to complement traditional counseling services with a unique, hands-on approach to healing. MBTR taps into the power of the human-animal bond by having Veterans train service dogs for fellow Warriors. Along the way, those participating in the program often experience their own therapeutic benefits, building connection and a renewed sense of purpose, while also improving sleep, emotional regulation and impulse control, and reducing stress, depression and hypervigilance.
“HIF is honored to be able to continue our partnership with Warrior Canine Connection,” said Kathy Stevens, president & chief executive officer, HIF. “Since 2015, HIF has invested $168,000 into this work, ensuring that our nation’s military veterans and their families have access to innovative therapeutic programming here in Montgomery County. This most recent grant to Warrior Canine Connection will continue to allow the Mission Based Trauma Recovery program to flourish, for people and puppies.”
Building on the success of its programming at the Cohen Clinic, with the help of HIF WCC is now expanding the MBTR model to the Silver Spring Vet Center (SSVC), which serves 400 to 500 Veterans and family members each month—many of whom seek support for post-traumatic stress. The addition of MBTR to SSVC’s suite of therapeutic offerings—which already includes yoga, meditation and equine therapy—will further enhance the center’s ability to support Veterans’ behavioral and mental health needs.
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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 Healthcare Initiative Foundation
The Foundation’s mission is to support organizations that offer solutions to improve the quality and delivery of health and wellness services for residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. Within our geographic and focus area, HIF considers efforts to improve the quality and delivery of healthcare, expand the availability of comprehensive healthcare, build appropriate capacity in the healthcare network, and grow the healthcare workforce. To learn more, please visit: http://www.hifmc.org.
Please join us in welcoming Sue Watson to Warrior Canine Connection’s pack! A dedicated advocate for Veterans and a WCC Puppy Raiser, Sue brings a deep passion for service and a commitment to making a difference.
Sue is WCC’s new Area Program Manager & Service Dog Training Instructor at our Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania location, where she supports Veterans and Puppy Parents at Duquesne University. As the daughter of WWII Marine Sergeant Jack Watson, Sue has always been deeply connected to the Veteran community. She practices what she calls “upstream, compassion-first” advocacy—listening to the needs of Veterans and their families, connecting them to resources, and creating pathways for growth and resilience.
“This brings together two of my greatest passions,” says Sue. “Dogs and Veterans just go together. Being part of WCC allows me to support both in a meaningful way, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Many in the WCC family already know Sue as a dedicated Puppy Raiser, having started with WCC’s Retzer and now raising WCC’s Jimmy Stewart. A lifelong dog lover, Sue found her passion for service dogs after losing her beloved Golden Retriever, Eli, a trained therapy dog. Wanting to continue making a difference, she became Pittsburgh’s first Puppy Raiser, embracing WCC’s mission to support Veterans through the healing power of dogs. And now, we’re proud to have her as a member of our team.
Outside of work, Sue enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors, catching up with friends over coffee, and helping others in any way she can. A retired teacher, she also has a love for antiques, upcycling and fitness—especially kettlebell workouts. Please join us in welcoming Sue to the WCC team!
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Warrior Canine Connection’s (WCC) Heath, a yellow Labrador, was named after a World War II sailor, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Charles Thomas Heath. WCC’s Heath, a service dog in training (SDIT), was born April 10, 2023, as one of a litter of six and bounded into Brigitte Bard’s life when he was 9 weeks old; she had volunteered to serve as a Puppy Parent, raising and training Heath for 18 to 24 months, preparing him for an eventual life with a veteran. WCC is a nonprofit organization that trains service dogs for wounded veterans. Read the full story in The Elm.
We’re excited to announce our partnership with Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) as we sponsor the two-year training journey of a veteran’s future service dog! This sponsorship plays a pivotal role in the dog’s development, covering essential costs such as obedience and service training, pet supplies, and veterinary care.
What is Warrior Canine Connection?
WCC is a proud, accredited member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI), a global organization promoting excellence in assistance dog acquisition, training, and partnership. At WCC, service dogs are more than just assistance dogs—they’re partners for American veteran Warriors on a path to healing. Through its Mission Based Trauma Recovery model, WCC helps wounded Warriors reconnect with life, families, communities, and each other.
Every day, WCC commits to its service dog training program carefully designed to ensure each dog is fully equipped to assist a veteran in need. There are three main stages:
Additionally, we’ll be honoring another veteran by naming the sponsored puppy after them. This tribute will be featured in the WCC’s Hall of Heroes, where names and stories of veterans and service heroes are memorialized.
Together, We Can Make a Difference
At Dealer eProcess, supporting our community and honoring our veterans isn’t just something we do—it’s part of who we are. Our commitment to giving back has led us to participate in initiatives like the Honor and Educate Golf Tournament, and now, we’re taking that dedication even further.
“When we learned about Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), it felt like a perfect fit for us,” remarked our CEO, Joe Gillespie. “Sponsoring a puppy in training means we’re helping forge a life-changing bond between a veteran and their service dog.”
This sponsorship isn’t just about financial support—it’s about recognizing the profound impact of animal-human connections. Together, we can make a real impact on those who’ve served our country.
We invite you to learn more about Warrior Canine Connection by visiting their website.
BOYDS, Maryland – Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is expanding its impact thanks to a major, multi-year grant from Mae Philanthropies. Committed to sparking sustainable change, funds from Mae Philanthropies will be used to enhance WCC’s PAWS and MBTR programing, bringing more animal-assisted therapy to Veterans and increasing the number of highly trained service dogs placed with those who need them most. Together, Mae Philanthropies and WCC are ensuring more Veterans experience the life-changing support of a service dog.
“This incredible support from Mae Philanthropies means more Veterans will experience the impact of a service dog,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director of Warrior Canine Connection. “Their generosity helps us grow our PAWS programming at VA hospitals, train more service dogs and connect more Veterans with the healing power of these remarkable animals.”
This generous grant from Mae Philanthropies will help WCC expand its impact in several ways:
Mae Philanthropies’ investment in WCC underscores a shared commitment to supporting Veterans through evidence-based therapeutic programs and service dog placement. By addressing both immediate needs and long-term sustainability, this partnership will create lasting change in the lives of those who have served.
For more information about Warrior Canine Connection and its programs, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.
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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 Mae Philanthropies
Mae Philanthropies is dedicated to addressing critical societal challenges by partnering with organizations to provide resources, expertise, and support that drive impactful and measurable change. Guided by its mission to foster collaboration and continuous learning, Mae Philanthropies envisions a world where enduring solutions are created through collective efforts. For more information, visit www.maephilanthropies.org.
For many Veterans, adjusting to life after service comes with unique challenges. Through a partnership between Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), Veterans are finding healing, connection and camaraderie in an unexpected way—through adorable puppies.
Exposure to people, touch, sound and other stimuli are a crucial part of a puppy’s development. That’s why WCC starts the socialization of its future service dogs when pups are just 4-5 weeks old. WCC’s puppy socialization program takes place multiple times a week, offering Veterans, including those involved in WWP’s programming, military families and those on the waitlist for a service dog, the chance to interact with these adorable puppies.
But as Lauren Tyler, WCC’s Breeding and Puppy Development manager, who helps coordinate the sessions, will tell you, beyond puppy enrichment and training exercises, these gatherings are providing another deep impact—a space for Veterans to connect with one another in a meaningful way.
“The program is really about connection,” Tyler says. “Yes, we’re working with future service dogs, but what also stands out besides the puppies is the sense of community being built. It’s a space where Veterans can bond, share experiences, make new friends and find support from people who truly understand them.”
One of those WWP participants is retired Air Force Major Idola Gunn, who retired in 2014 after 28.5 years on active duty. Major Gunn learned about WCC’s puppy socialization program through WWP. After losing her 11+ year old dogs in 2017 and 2019, Gunn was eager to learn more about the program. Fast forward a couple of years, and she has since participated a half-dozen times and attended two WCC service dog graduations.
“I left military service with mental and physical disabilities,” said Gunn. “Throughout my career, I have met several Department of Defense working dogs, however, they are doing just that, ‘working.’ WCC’s puppy socialization program is a feel-good activity that allows you to spend time with and eventually help train the dogs. I have seen the interactions with other Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, and to see their faces while they are cuddling and snuggling these pups, it is simply great. It was something I truly needed in my life.”
For retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Sarah Gooch, the program provided an unexpected yet deeply fulfilling outlet after sustaining head trauma and lengthy rehabilitation.
“If we lived closer, I’d be there all the time,” Gooch says. “It doesn’t matter what kind of day I was having—when I got to go in and work with the puppies, I couldn’t help but smile. It was my nirvana.”
Her connection with WCC became even more personal when WCC service dog, “Sarah Lu,” was named after her through its namesake program.
“It was such an honor,” said Gooch. “The puppy parents were incredible, and they even brought her to my retirement. That moment meant everything to me.”
Gooch believes that programs like this, and many others than WWP offers, not only help Veterans focus on something positive but also serve as an opportunity to reconnect with a part of themselves that may have been lost.
“It helps to refocus, to bring some joy back into your life,” she says. “And the best part? You’re never alone in it. There’s always someone there who understands what you’re going through.”
While each Veteran’s journey is different, one thing remains the same—the importance of connection. Whether it’s sharing stories over a training session or simply sitting with a puppy and finding a moment of peace, WCC’s puppy socialization program provides a unique kind of healing and connection.
“There’s always a different group of people volunteering,” Gunn says. “You meet people from different branches of service, different walks of life—it’s a great opportunity to share. Even just the ride out there is soothing.”
For many, this program is more than just an event on a calendar. It’s a lifeline. It’s a place where Veterans can find understanding, companionship and a sense of purpose—all while helping to ready some adorable puppies for their first stages of training.
“If you’re on the fence about it, just try it,” Gunn encourages. “It’s an awesome program. Pick and choose what resonates with you and take that step. You never know how much it might change your life.”
To learn more about Wounded Warrior Project’s programs, visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
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A year after being introduced to the public, ‘Jimmy’—a service dog in training—visited the Jimmy Stewart Museum days before Christmas. Jimmy is being trained by Maryland-based nonprofit, Warrior Canine Connection, and is currently in training at Duquesne University. Read more about Jimmy’s journey in the Indiana Gazette.
Since its founding in 1985, Kearney & Company has built a reputation as a premier audit, consulting, and technology firm focused on the government. But the work Kearney does goes beyond just the numbers—it’s about making a real difference. The firm’s commitment to community outreach is at the heart of its culture, with a special emphasis on supporting military and Veteran communities.
A perfect example of Kearney’s commitment to the military community is its 12+ year partnership with Warrior Canine Connection (WCC). Over the years, Kearney has raised more than $530,000 for the nonprofit, helping fund programs that are literally changing—and saving—the lives of wounded Veterans. But it’s not just about the money—Kearney team members have also volunteered with WCC and supported the organization through various events—a true testament to their dedication to giving back.
Dr. Kyle Richards, Kearney’s Director of Employee Engagement, is also a member of WCC’s Board of Directors and an ardent supporter of the nonprofit. He explains why the partnership is such a natural fit.
“At Kearney, we believe in the concept of WCC’s clinical approach to Mission Based Trauma Recovery training,” said Dr. Richards. “There are a lot of organizations that pair Veterans with service dogs, and they’re doing incredible work. But as CPAs, we bring an auditor’s lens to everything we do. So, when you bring in that clinical approach, you can ensure that every part of the program is studied rigorously—that’s when real progress happens. From selecting the right dog to tracking outcomes and gathering data that can inform future research, WCC is committed to the same level of rigor in its work as Kearney is in ours. We’re deeply invested in the process and the impact it has. The entire firm takes such pride and delight in it.”
To date, more than 9,000 Veterans have participated in WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training program, which enlists Warriors to help train service dogs for their fellow Warriors. By interacting with the dogs as they move from puppyhood to training to adult service dogs, Warrior Trainers benefit from a physiological and psychological animal-human connection. As a result of their efforts, Veterans with visible and invisible wounds receive the finest in trained service dogs.
“Kearney’s partnership and Kyle’s leadership on our Board have been invaluable,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “Their support, both financial and through their expertise, has played a critical role in helping us enhance and expand our programs. The insights and guidance Kyle has provided have helped make a lasting impact on WCC, enabling us to serve Veterans and their families more effectively. We are incredibly grateful for Kearney and Kyle’s ongoing commitment to our mission and the difference they’re helping us make in the lives of those who have served.”
Kearney was recently recognized on Military Times’ 2024 Best for Vets: Employers list. The list highlights organizations that are evaluated based on their policies, practices, and benefits for veterans. Notably, more than one in six Kearney team members have served in the Armed Forces. This strong Veteran presence across the firm including in leadership roles helps Kearney truly understand and embrace the mission-driven culture that Veterans bring.
“It’s been a long and fruitful partnership between Kearney and Warrior Canine Connection, and we look forward to continuing it for years to come because the mission was, is, and remains critical for the amount of need out there,” said Richards. “The more we can do to support WCC, the more the organization can do to support Veterans, their families, and the lives of our community members. It really creates a ripple effect that both impacts our Veterans and those who love and care for them.”
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Warrior Canine Connection
is a 501(c)(3)
Nonprofit Organization
# 45-2981579