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.
Warrior Canine Connection proudly celebrated the 2025 Graduation of its Veteran Service Dog Teams and assistance dogs on September 20 — and what a celebration it was! The virtual ceremony tugged at heartstrings with touching stories from Veterans and volunteers, this year’s Wag of the Tail Award winners and inspiring keynote remarks from U.S. Army Veteran and Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
The festivities didn’t stop online — more than 600 members of the WCC community gathered in person at the WCC Healing Quarters in Boyds, Maryland. Guests traveled from near and far to enjoy delicious food and pup-friendly treats, live music, photo booth, tours of our beautifully renovated barn, and most importantly, to connect and celebrate the incredible achievements of our Veterans and military families and the dogs who support them. This year’s event was made paw-sible thanks to the love and dedication of our volunteers and supporters.
Congratulations to all our graduates, and a huge thank-you to the volunteers and supporters who make this life-changing work possible!
Missed the live stream — or want to watch again? Watch the full WCC 2025 Graduation ceremony here.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Celebrate National Service Dog Month with this year’s graduating service dogs and the Veterans, families and communities they serve
BOYDS, Md. — The countdown is on! In exactly one month, Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) will introduce its 2025 graduates — Veteran Service Dog Teams, Facility Dogs, Military Family Support Dogs and other assistance dogs who have made a meaningful difference in the lives of Warriors with visible and invisible wounds — during a virtual celebration on Saturday, September 20. The ceremony will be streamed on WCC’s YouTube channel. Everyone is welcome to watch, cheer and share.
“Graduation is our favorite day of the year because it’s where hope meets impact,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “You’ll hear moving stories from Veterans and families, and you’ll meet the extraordinary dogs who stand by their side through every challenge. It’s a celebration of resilience, service and the power of the human-canine bond.”
September is National Service Dog Month, making this year’s graduation the perfect time to recognize the extraordinary impact of these highly trained assistance dogs. WCC is an Assistance Dogs International (ADI)-accredited service dog organization, meeting the highest standards in training and care for both dogs and handlers.
Through WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery training model, each dog can positively impact dozens of Veterans during training. Through the program, Warriors learn to train service dogs for fellow Veterans as part of their own treatment for PTSD. In doing so, they gain therapeutic benefits including improved communication and reduced anxiety along the way.
What to expect on Sept. 20
Join us
Story Ideas:
Media:
Media are invited to attend the in-person celebration. Interviews, photos, b-roll, and story opportunities are available. For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.
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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.
Join us on Saturday, September 20, 2025, as we celebrate the incredible accomplishments of Warrior Canine Connection’s newest graduating class! This inspiring event kicks off with a virtual graduation ceremony at 11 a.m. ET on WCC’s YouTube channel—available to all who wish to support our Veterans and their loyal service dogs.
Then, keep the celebration going in person! WCC will host a post-graduation reception at its Healing Quarters in Boyds, Maryland at 1 p.m. ET. Graduates, families, friends and supporters are invited to enjoy food, music, photo ops, WCC gear, fun activities and of course—lots of dogs!
Reception registration opens August 20 on WCC’s website—stay tuned for more details and make plans to join the pack!
And don’t miss the EPW happy hour the night before graduation! This fun-filled event will raise funds to support WCC’s mission while bringing together dog lovers and supporters. All are welcome to join! Learn more and register here.
BOYDS, Md. — It was a graduation celebration in Boyds, Maryland, on Saturday. However, it wasn’t just humans walking across the stage but also their four-legged friends who received certifications that will help recovering veterans. Watch the full story on WDVM here.
HOW TO SUBMIT A DESIGN
Be a part of Warrior Canine Connection graduation history by designing a limited edition t-shirt celebrating the Virtual Graduation Class of 2021! The contest is open to everyone of all ages and the winning designer will receive a FREE t-shirt featuring their artwork and bragging rights.
GUIDELINES
· Design should not exceed three ink colors
· Design for back of t-shirt only
· If submitting a hand drawing, please submit no larger than 8.5 x 11-inch size
· Multiple designs may be submitted
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JULY 14, 2021
Design submissions can be emailed as an attachment to info@warriorcanineconnection.org. Hand-drawn submissions are accepted and can be scanned in and submitted as an email attachment.
Acceptable submission formats include *.jpg, *.png, *.ai, *.eps. If designed in Illustrator, Photoshop, or other software, we will request original artwork file if selected.
Once the submission date has closed, WCC will select the winning design and announce it on our Facebook page. We also look forward to sharing a gallery of everyone’s submissions this summer.
FINE PRINT
By submitting a design, the designer consents that his/her design is their own original artwork and that he/she has all the necessary rights and permissions to use included elements. Please do not use elements or designs created by someone else. Images that are not submitted in vector format will need to be recreated. Warrior Canine Connection reserves the right to make adjustments and alterations to the winning entry to ensure that the reproduction of the image is the best quality. The winning designer releases all exclusive rights to the artwork to be used for Virtual Graduation 2021 material. The winner will be rewarded with a WCC graduation t-shirt featuring his/her design.
Eight years running and Warrior Canine Connection’s graduation wouldn’t be what it is without the support from its Extreme Puppy Watchers, or “EPWs,” to which they’re most commonly referred.
The EPWs are a group of WCC supporters that number in the thousands and is made up of volunteers from all over the country. The group’s moniker grew out of their collective love for WCC’s puppies and the Veterans they grow up to support.
In a “normal” graduation year, the EPWs help with the annual event, including its organization and execution, even hosting a pre-graduation happy hour. But they do much more for WCC than just assist with its graduation ceremony; they also help to raise awareness, fundraise and provide support to the organization in numerous other ways throughout the entire year.
Although there was some disappointment about not being able to see each other in-person at this year’s graduation, the EPWs also had many praises for this year’s event.
“It was a beautiful graduation and weekend. There were moments of tears and joy that touched my soul… it really was well done… next best thing to being together.”
– Sandi Rosenberg
“I watched it from beginning to end. I thought it was fantastic!”
– Robin Baus Artura
“My first attendance at a WCC graduation! Being in Australia, I would not have been able to attend in person. I love this virtual format. It was very touching. Great to have the veterans speak. As many have said, it was probably less stressful for them, which is good. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to put this all together. Very well done. Truly grateful.”
– Ming Ng
“It was a beautiful graduation. So many joyful moments, and so many moments where I needed a lot of Kleenex! The graduation touched my heart. I wish that we all could have been together, but I really enjoyed the whole event!”
– Leslie Shear
Typically, Veterans graduating with their service dogs participate in the ceremony during the ritual “leash passing” with their dog’s puppy parent who helped raise their dog. This year, due to the virtual format, we were able to hear from the Veterans up close and personal about their relationships with their newfound best friends. And judging by some of the EPW’s input, that was a welcome change.
“I especially loved hearing the veterans speak. They’re usually so overwhelmed by all the people at the in-person ceremony.”
– Julie Hansen
“I missed seeing everyone in person, but I enjoyed the virtual graduation ceremony. The national anthem was wonderful and brought me to tears. I really enjoyed hearing from the veterans and seeing the service dogs interacting with them and their families.”
– Taffy Zoab
“It was much better than I had anticipated! Kudos to all who helped put it together. I too think the veterans seemed more relaxed. Loved seeing Spencer, he did an awesome job hosting and hearing his story. I didn’t want it to end. I’ve re-watched it three times already!”
– Cheryl Cannone
“It was very well done. I LOVED seeing video of the veterans with their dogs and hearing them speak about the impact these dogs have on them. Keynote speaker was awesome as well. It was all great!
– Anna Middeke
“I found myself feeling depressed most of the weekend, just because I was missing all of my friends and our in-person visit. That being said, graduation was awesome. Thank goodness for the technology and the opportunity to still visit with friends and see our beloved WCC dogs graduate. The videos were an added plus as we got to know more about the puppy parents and about the veterans receiving the dogs. To have each veteran say a little something on video was an added bonus. I believe the veteran was comfortable addressing us in this manner and it added a real human component to our “WCC Family.”
– Sandy Goga
“I really LOVED graduation is this format. I thought hearing from the Veterans was so meaningful and really brings all the work preparing the dogs for their future full circle. It really put the focus on the Veterans.”
– Ericka Johanek
“I loved the pre-graduation posts about the dogs, veteran partners and Puppy Parents….it was fun to learn about them in advance. I missed being there, but I think this was a huge success for our very first virtual event. Fun Virtual Happy Hour! It was great getting to see folks and celebrate. Loved the concert by Josh Gallagher! I loved the playing of the National Anthem…made me put my hand on my heart. I really loved hearing all the veterans videos…I felt like I learned so much about each of them and the Puppy Parents. It was so nice to get to know them. The video that Alice made was stellar and such a great capture of the entire event! A treasured memory.”
– Cindy Meyers
“This was my 1st WCC graduation. It was wonderful. The keynote speaker, stories and phtoos about vets and parents were so moving. Thank you for making this happen.”
– Leila Collins
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s WCC graduation possible!
In its eighth year of taking place, this year’s Warrior Canine Connection graduation will mark its first *virtual* ceremony. Despite the format change, the event, set to take place on Saturday, September 26th, still promises to be a not-to-miss celebration!
Be sure to tune-in to WCC’s Facebook page at 11 a.m. Eastern Time for the festivities! The ceremony will include this year’s graduating Veteran Service Dog Teams, as well as inspiring stories, special awards, shout-outs and more!
Besides tuning in from home, you can also be part of the planning process by voting for the final artwork design that will be selected to appear on a special, limited edition tshirt that will be sold online. WCC received more than 20 original artwork submissions as part of the design contest. Voting takes place today through August 9; you can make your vote count here.
In addition, WCC will also be selling a limited number of Class of 2020 “Pawty Packs” to enhance your at-home graduation watch party experience. These specially created kits will be available for sale after August 31 in the WCC store — more details to follow!
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for September 26 at 11 a.m. to join us in the celebration!
The following Veteran Service Dog Teams were introduced into WCC’s 2019 class of graduates.
SSG Spencer Milo, USA, Retired, and Service Dog Joseph
CAPT John Halsema, USN, and Service Dog McGhee
SSgt Ryan Boyles, USAF, and Service Dog Tommy
Col Dennis Fowler, USAF, Retired, and Service Dog Lou
The following Military Family Support Dogs were placed with their forever families. Military Family Support dogs help facilitate family relationships, including companionship, support and unconditional love for our military families.
SFC Mark Hughes, USA, Separated, with Military Family Support Dog Pegasus
MAJ Richard Star, USA, and Military Family Support Dog Otis
WCC also placed one facility dog this year. Facility dogs are paired with Veterans to work in a treatment or healthcare facility that provides care for active-duty Service Members and Veterans.
LCpl Kevin Rumley, USMC, and Facility Dog Clifford; the pair is working together at the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court.
As well as these graduates, the following are six additions to WCC’s breeding program and will produce future litters of service dogs:
Cooper
Donna
Meli
Beverly
Charlie II
Dani
In 2013, a dedicated team of volunteers from across the country scrambled to pull together WCC’s very first graduation. Seven years later, the tradition continues with an event that welcomes nearly 500 people and has become a highlight of the year for WCC. Still today, volunteers continue to be a key component to the event’s success. This year, approximately 50 volunteers from 18 states gave more than 700 hours of volunteer service to make the WCC Graduation a memorable day for Veteran graduates and their families.
“I started volunteering at WCC as a way our entire family could be involved together,” said Ericka Johanek, WCC volunteer and self-proclaimed Extreme Puppy Watcher (EPW). “As an Air Force family, it’s a way to give back to fellow members of our community who have given so much. Seeing the change the dogs make in our military members so they can live full and rewarding lives is so rewarding! I love being able to spread the word about what WCC does to our community.”
While some volunteers are drawn to WCC because of their own military connections, others admittedly are drawn by the puppies.
“I came for the puppies and stayed for the mission!” said Kim Rice, WCC EPW and long-time volunteer. “I helped plan the first event at WCC and was then asked to help plan the first graduation … the rest is history! I love volunteering for WCC in general, but graduation is my favorite. Graduation is an opportunity to celebrate all the hard work of the trainers and puppy parents, but most importantly, welcome the new graduates into the pack and celebrate their new chapter in life. It’s also a bit of a homecoming as many past graduates come back to visit WCC for graduation. It’s great to see the graduates and their families catching up with each other, staff and EPWs, and of course–did I mention the puppies!”
Each year, more than 800 volunteers touch every aspect of WCC’s programs through their generous gifts of time and talent. Key roles volunteers play include puppy parents, puppy sitters, puppy petting, facility maintenance, event and administrative support, and fundraising, among others.
On behalf of a grateful organization, thank you to all WCC’s volunteers for your dedication and support — for at times dropping some of your own responsibilities to help fulfill those of others. Thank you for seeing the need and rising to the challenge. Thank you for sharing your time and talents to help improve the lives of the others. But most of all, thank you for your kindness, full hearts and conviction for serving our nation’s Veterans.
Warrior Canine Connection
is a 501(c)(3)
Nonprofit Organization
# 45-2981579