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.

###