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Warrior Canine Connection enlists recovering Warriors in a therapeutic mission of learning to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.
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Tag Archive for: WCC VTC

Warrior Canine Connection’s Innovative Service Dog Training Program Celebrates 5-Year Milestone at Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court

June 2, 2023

Veterans Train Service Dogs as Part of Their Own Recovery

Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is celebrating a milestone—five years since it has partnered with the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) to provide service dog training as part of its community service options for Veteran participants.

Veterans involved in the VTC programming are often required to complete a set number of community service hours. The dog training — offered through WCC — is one of the options on the docket. Training takes place on a weekly basis at the courthouse and Veterans can ​participate within the WCC program for the duration of their VTC commitment.

Judge Marvin Pope, who has presided over the program since its inception and is a dog lover himself, says he knows the powerful role dogs can play as a friend, companion and confidant.

“When Warrior Canine Connection became a possibility for Veteran Treatment Court, I knew that this was a unique opportunity to give our Veteran clients this “link” to something they may not have experienced before, plus bond them to a “personality” that is faithful, friendly, and most importantly “forgiving” no matter what the client may or may not have done in the past,” said Judge Pope. “I have seen this work so well for so many of our Veteran clients. I want to continue this relationship with Warrior Canine Connection and VTC forever.”

VTC participants learn to train service dogs for their fellow Warriors. In doing so, Veterans 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. Since its inception, Veteran participants have logged more than 1,900 community service hours.

“I always looked forward to working with the dogs; learning how to train them,” shared one VTC graduate. “I like who I am when I get to be with the dogs. I think the dogs understood me even when I couldn’t understand myself. They helped me graduate from the VTC. I want to work with animals and give back.”

Amy Guidash, WCC Asheville program manager and liaison to the Buncombe County VTC Program, says the program has been successful because it focuses on impacting its Veteran participants.

“The Veterans participating have been able to make WCC part of their recovery plan,” said Guidash. “Many of our participants voluntarily continue with the program after completion, staying actively involved by devoting a couple hours per week to give back to their fellow Veterans.”

Kevin Rumley, coordinator for the Buncombe County VTC, has watched the program since it took shape five years ago and continues to be inspired by its impact on the Veterans involved.

“I am amazed by the work of WCC with our VTC veterans,” said Rumley. “Michele, Amy, Robin (WCC staff and volunteers) and the WCC dogs have supported our veterans through every step of the VTC journey. From Phase-1 veterans who are navigating a new life without substances/drugs and all the requirements of the court, to our graduating veterans who are setting future focused goals and working towards careers, WCC is providing the veterans with the skills of self/emotion regulation, behavior modification, and trauma resiliency. I am honored to celebrate five years of our partnership and look forward to another five years of advancing healing for our veterans. WCC saves lives!”

https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2023-06-02 20:48:432023-06-05 20:29:44Warrior Canine Connection’s Innovative Service Dog Training Program Celebrates 5-Year Milestone at Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court

WCC Programs Expand Reach

December 5, 2022

Warrior Canine Connection’s programs continue to see growth, both locally in nearby Frederick, Maryland, as well as at two new sites — one in Pennsylvania and another in Virginia.

November marked the official start of WCC’s new program at the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with its Perelman School of Medicine and Veterans Care Excellence Program (VCEP). The program provides WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training program on campus for area Veteran students, staff and community members, and has five service dogs in training on site.

Funding for the WCC program at Penn was provided by Team Foster, a local Philadelphia-based Veteran support organization dedicated to serving disabled Veterans through community support, Veteran peers and highly trained service dogs.

Also in November, roughly 20 miles from WCC’s Healing Quarters in Boyds, Platoon 22, a non-profit organization who mission is to end Veteran suicide opened the doors to its new Platoon Veteran Services Center at Goodwill in Frederick, Md. The space provides much-needed resources and support for Veterans transitioning from service to civilian life. WCC is offering its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) programming on-site several days a week as one of its ongoing support programs.

In Virginia, WCC has begun working with the Rappahannock Regional Veterans Treatment Docket which is being held at the Spotsylvania Circuit Court in Northern Virginia. In support of this Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) programming, WCC is engaging Veterans in MBTR classes to satisfy community service hours—often a requirement for graduation from the court. The dog training — offered through WCC — is one of the options on the docket. Training takes place on a weekly basis at the courthouse and Veterans can ​participate within the WCC program for the duration of their VTC commitment. The program is in addition to WCC VTC programming taking place at locations in California, Maryland and North Carolina.

https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2022-12-05 21:58:322022-12-06 20:28:08WCC Programs Expand Reach

“Warrior Canine Connection” hosts event to honor and help veterans

November 12, 2019

November 10, 2019 – ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The nonprofit “Warrior Canine Connection” hosted a Veterans Day appreciation and fundraising event in Asheville on Saturday.

The nonprofit breeds, trains, and places services dogs with recovering veterans.

The event not only focused on honoring veterans, but also helping them recover from visible and invisible wounds. Watch the complete WLOS story here. 

https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2019-11-12 14:06:272021-04-02 02:02:39“Warrior Canine Connection” hosts event to honor and help veterans

Kevin and Clifford: From Cap & Gown to Courtroom

October 4, 2019

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 the official beginning of their pairing.

The duo is also a regular fixture at the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) in Asheville, N.C., where they help Veterans involved in the legal system navigate a way to bettering their lives.  

And who better to help fellow Veterans than Kevin? You see, Kevin is also in long-term recovery, himself. While in the Marine Corps, after sustaining severe combat wounds during his deployment in Iraq, he became addicted to opioids and pain pills he was prescribed while recovering from his physical wounds. Kevin credits the support of the VA and community providers with getting his life back on track, completing graduate school, and becoming a licensed social worker. Now he’s helping other Veterans on their recovery journey. 

“My experience working with Clifford has meant the world to me,” said Kevin Rumley, coordinator, Buncombe County VTC. “As a combat-wounded veteran, I struggle to remain regulated and calm in high-stress situations. Clifford brings joy and happiness to the courthouse, and anywhere he goes. From providing snuggles to traumatized youth in the courtroom (during difficult G.A.L Trials), to supporting justice-involved Veterans (in Veterans Court), Clifford is having a positive impact on every person he meets.” 

The Buncombe County VTC program, a non-adversarial, treatment-based diversion program, is overseen by Judge Marvin Pope. The program is designed to help Veterans with legal issues, focuses on recovery through a coordinated effort amongst the VA and community mental health providers. In fact, if Veterans get help and do the work, upon completion of the program, Veterans can petition to have their charges dismissed. 

Their partnership with Warrior Canine Connection has proven especially beneficial to all parties involved. Veteran participants in the court receive their VTC-required community service hours by training the WCC puppies, and once the puppies graduate after two years, they are paired with a combat-wounded Veteran. 

“All this time I have been training these dogs, I thought I was teaching them, but in all actuality, the dogs were teaching me,” said Robinson Moore, VTC participant.

Kevin and Clifford don’t just help in the courtroom, they also assist Veterans with finding meaningful employment, housing, educational pursuits, custody cases, and everything in-between. Kevin talks about the sense of community that comes from working with Veterans during their recovery process.  

“When we served together, it was a single unit, a tribe,” said Kevin. “Everyone was looking out for each other. We believe that this is just as important now that we are out of the service. It is through connection and service to others, including with the service dogs, that we are empowered to not only recover — but to thrive.”   

Kevin is excited for the continued partnership with WCC, saying “We have already seen the positive impact Clifford has had on the Courthouse community. My hope is to continue to bring WCC to those places of greatest need… the healing that comes from working with these dogs is incredible.”  

https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg 0 0 WCC Comms https://warriorcanineconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_sm.svg WCC Comms2019-10-04 09:51:212021-04-02 02:02:39Kevin and Clifford: From Cap & Gown to Courtroom

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Contact Us

14934 Schaeffer Road
Boyds, MD 20841

(T) 301.260.1111
info@warriorcanineconnection.org

Warrior Canine Connection
is a 501(c)(3)
Nonprofit Organization
# 45-2981579

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