Service dogs are highly trained animals that assist individuals with specific disabilities, like blindness, hearing loss, mental health issues, and an assortment of other medical conditions. You’ve likely seen one of these hardworking, vested pups in action before. Read the full story in A-Z Animals here.
About a year ago, Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) and Commvault came together around a shared belief: real resilience is built through connection, care and community. As the partnership enters its second year, that belief continues to show up in powerful and often joyful ways for Veterans, employees and some service dogs in training.
At the heart of WCC’s work is its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training program, which enlists Veterans and Service Members to help train future service dogs. Each dog will eventually support a Veteran, but the impact begins long before placement. Veterans participating in MBTR can also benefit from skills development in communication, confidence building, accountability, emotional regulation and patience to promote an act of service while receiving a therapeutic benefit.
“We’re deeply grateful for Commvault’s partnership and the way they’ve woven Warrior Canine Connection into their culture,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, WCC. “Their support allows us to introduce more people to Mission Based Trauma Recovery and to the life-changing work Veterans and service dogs do together.”
Commvault’s support has helped expand awareness of MBTR and deepen engagement with WCC’s mission. What makes the partnership special isn’t just financial backing — it’s how fully Commvault has welcomed WCC into its culture. From employee health fairs and company meetings to major moments like its sales kickoff event, Commvault team members have had the chance to meet service dogs in training, see them in action and experience the power of the human-canine bond firsthand. These encounters often spark meaningful conversations about mental health, resilience and service.
“For Commvault, aligning with WCC is a natural extension of our commitment to embracing the human side of work, making an impact and supporting communities where employees live and serve,” says Martha Delehanty, chief people officer, Commvault.
The partnership also reflects Commvault’s values and the mission of its VALOR Employee Resource Group, which focuses on supporting Veterans and military families.
As the partnership continues, WCC and Commvault remain aligned around a simple but powerful truth: healing often begins with connection — and sometimes, it comes on four paws.
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For Trey Keen, connection came first through dogs — and then through paint. A Marine Corps Veteran who served eight years as a helicopter crew chief, including a combat deployment to Afghanistan, Trey was introduced to Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) through the Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) program at the Philadelphia VA. What started as an eight-week commitment quickly became something more.
When the two-month program ended, Trey wasn’t ready to step away. He continued participating at WCC’s Philly program site at the University of Pennsylvania — and more than a year later, he’s still showing up.
“I like the premise of it, it’s an opportunity to help other Veterans,” Trey said. “There’s no better group than working with dogs. It’s really cool to know that in the long run these dogs are going to go on to help a Veteran in some shape or form.”
That sense of purpose mirrors what Trey experiences every day with his own service dog, Frankie, a three-year-old German Shepherd. While Frankie was trained through another organization, her impact on Trey’s life has been profound.
“She wakes me up before nightmares start — that has been amazing,” he shared. “She does a million other things for me. I don’t think we’ve ever been apart for more than 15 minutes since I’ve had her. She goes everywhere with me — Eagles games, concerts, just everyday things. My PTSD and anxiety have gone down about 90%. She saves my life somehow every single day.”
Before Frankie, Trey avoided public spaces altogether.
“For a while, I wasn’t doing anything — not going in public or anywhere,” he said. “Now there’s really nothing I won’t do if I have her with me.”
It was through another VA program — an arts and crafts class — that Trey discovered something else unexpected: painting. He decided to try painting Frankie and surprised himself with the result. What began as a therapeutic outlet soon turned into a meaningful way to give back.
Today, Trey paints dog portraits on canvas, primarily using acrylics, and asks only one thing in return: the recipient make a donation to WCC. Over the past year, Trey has painted nearly 25 dog portraits in support of WCC. Several feature WCC dogs, including Tugger, Moon Dog Sarah, and Sam.
“It’s therapeutic,” Trey said. “I paint on an easel, and it just helps.”
His connection to WCC goes beyond the art. Trey helped train Moon Dog while involved in his first MBTR session, and he speaks warmly about the WCC staff who make the experience possible.
“Lisa and Jen (who run WCC’s program at Penn) are just incredible,” he said. “They really go above and beyond to help. I’ve seen them do things you wouldn’t expect them to do for Veterans — that’s another big reason I keep going back, they’re just incredible people.”
WCC Program Director and Service Dog Training Instructor Jennifer Desher has seen Trey’s commitment firsthand.
“From the very beginning, Trey has shown up for Warrior Canine Connection with so much heart and generosity. When he surprised Lisa and me with a portrait of Sam II and Sarah Lu after his first eight weeks with us, we were truly blown away — not just by how perfectly he captured them, but by the thoughtfulness behind the gift. Beyond his incredible talent, Trey consistently looks out for his fellow Veterans, offering rides and support whenever needed and his care for our pups is just as genuine. We’re incredibly grateful to have him as part of the WCC family.”
Through paint, patience and a deep belief in WCC’s mission, Trey continues to give back — one dog portrait at a time.
Curious about Trey’s work or interested in a custom piece? Trey is taking on additional requests and is happy to connect. You can reach him directly at soupcans11@gmail.com.
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Valentine’s Day 2023 brought Melissa neither flowers nor chocolate — it brought Healy, a life-changing companion. Approaching three years later, she still calls it the best Valentine she’s ever received.
Their match wasn’t an instant, movie-style moment. It unfolded quietly, in the way real love usually does.
“It didn’t happen overnight,” Melissa says. “I just started realizing I wasn’t doing this alone anymore.”
Before Healy, leaving the house felt heavy. Doctor’s appointments were traumatic and exhausting. Social events took courage she didn’t always have. Melissa had recently been medically retired from the Army as a Medical Service Officer and was still finding her footing in a new job when Healy arrived. Within months, something shifted.
“I felt more confident going to events, doing things,” she says. “He became an easy talking point. People remembered me because of him.”
But the bigger change wasn’t how others saw her — it was how she saw herself.
With Healy by her side, Melissa started pushing herself to do more. She biked. She traveled. She joined a new gym. She built real relationships with neighbors she’d lived near for years but never truly known. At a local diner, interactions became conversations, not transactions. If Healy isn’t with her, people ask where he is.
Love, for them, shows up in the routine. In the quiet reassurance of walking into a doctor’s office together. In the way Healy braces her on stairs when her Addison’s Disease flares. In the steady presence that helped her reduce therapy from weekly to every other week.
“Not just mentally,” Melissa says, “but physically and emotionally.”
There have been big moments, too. France. Switzerland. Portugal. The Five Boro Bike Ride — twice, with a third likely on the horizon. The travel takes leg work: vet visits, airline approvals, endless planning.
“It’s not easy,” she says. “But it’s always worth it.”
Each year, Melissa and Healy mark their anniversary with a tradition of their own — an annual photo shoot with a local, professional photographer. This year’s will be their third, a visual reminder of how far they’ve come together.
Melissa shares Healy is smart, stubborn, persistent and quirky — traits she admittedly says they share.
“He’s hysterical,” she laughs. “He sucks on his tail. He hates the boots I put on him in bad weather. But we all have our quirks.”
Even dating comes with Healy in the picture. He goes on dates, too — observant and discerning, with an uncanny ability to read people. Melissa jokes there’s a lot to live up to with this “male” already in her life.
Through job loss (Melissa’s position was eliminated a few months ago), health ups and downs and uncertainty, Healy has been her constant.
“He’s so amazing,” she says through tears. “I can’t even put into words how much he means to me and the impact he’s had on me. There’s no way to qualify all he does.”
On a holiday built around love, Melissa found the kind that lasts — not flashy or fleeting, but steady, faithful and always by her side.
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Lisa Williamson sits down for the latest Mission Matters with Army veteran Bob Ouellette. Bob is now involved with Warrior Canine Connection and shares how he came to join this amazing organization, as well as the great work they are doing with veterans who help train service dogs for other veterans. Listen to the Wreaths Across America interview here.
Maria Milito of Maria’s Mutts and Stuff Podcast on iHeart chats with Warrior Canine Connection’s Mar Leifeld, Assistant Director of MBTR–Mission Based Trauma Recovery–programs. They discuss how veterans with PTSD help train puppies to become service dogs for veterans who need one. Warrior Canine Connection says: “One dog can help more than 80 warriors” so give a listen and learn! (This is their third time on Maria’s Mutts & Stuff!) Listen to the full conversation here.
A national shortage of people who raise puppies is delaying the process
Warrior Canine Connection is a national nonprofit that trains and pairs service dogs with veterans. Its goal is to help them recover from post-traumatic stress and reconnect with their families and communities. But a national shortage of people who raise puppies is delaying the process, leaving many veterans waiting.
Check out the full story in BethesdaToday.
BOYDS, Md. — Warrior Canine Connection is a national nonprofit that trains and pairs service dogs with veterans. Its goal is to help them recover from post-traumatic stress and reconnect with their families and communities. But a national shortage of people who raise puppies is delaying the process, leaving many veterans waiting. Watch the full story from Capital News Service.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY — September is Service Dog Awareness Month, and WMAR-2 News is taking a closer look at the incredible bond between veterans and their service animals. One veteran’s four-legged partner not only helps her heal, but also saved her life. Watch the full story on WMAR News 2 Baltimore.
On a recent episode of Coffee with Ken Biberaj, host Ken visits Warrior Canine Connection in Boyds, Maryland to sit down with founder Rick Yount and explore how this pioneering nonprofit is transforming the way we support veterans. Through an innovative model, Warrior Canine Connection enlists service members to help train future service dogs—giving them purpose, connection, and a path to healing from PTSD and combat-related trauma. Watch the full interview on Coffee with Ken Biberaj here.
Warrior Canine Connection
is a 501(c)(3)
Nonprofit Organization
# 45-2981579