WCC Archives - Warrior Canine Connection

Military Family Appreciation Month: WCC’s Hullett — the Piece the Bell Family Didn’t Know They Were Missing

November 18, 2022/0 Comments/in Stories of Impact /by WCC Comms

Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is proud to observe National Military Family Appreciation Month — a time to recognize and honor the sacrifices military family members make while supporting their servicemen and women. Our programs, which serve Service Members and Veterans, all directly benefit from the contributions of military family members as staff, Puppy Parents and volunteers.

WCC’s No-Fail Mission not only pairs service dogs with Veterans, but it also provides support to Veterans and military family members through the placement of its Military Family Support Dogs (MFSD). The Bell family is one of many who has received a WCC MFSD earlier this year. And as they told us, they can’t imagine their lives without Hullett, a lovable yellow Labrador Retriever.

A family of five, the Bell family is always bustling; kids are seemingly always running to sports, extracurricular events and friend’s houses. There’s Myla, 14; Macie, 12; Branson, 10; Amy, also known as “mom;” and Michael, aka “dad,” U.S. Marine Corps Major in his 22^nd year of active-duty service. So as Amy told us, they were curious how Hullett joining their family might impact their routines.

“He [Hullett] is the missing piece we never knew … he’s a just the best, we can’t imagine life without him now, he’s involved in our everyday decisions of what we do, where we go, and if he’s coming with us,” said Amy Bell. “Our family dynamic has changed for the better. With such a busy household, he has actually helped bind us, taught the kids responsibility through their chores and, of course, he provides tons of fun and is always giving us something to talk about.”

Hullett initially went through advanced training but based on his strengths and skills, WCC trainers found him to be a better fit as a MFSD. Trainers describe him as a smart, driven boy who loves to cuddle and be surrounded by people.

When it came to being paired with a dog from WCC, neither coat color nor gender mattered to the Bells, Amy said their only pre-requisite, which was her specific request, was “my dog must love the water,” (said with a laugh). Mission complete: Hullett spent his first summer with the Bell family enjoying the backyard pool.

Hullett is named after Army Sergeant First Class David W. Hullett, Retired, who dedicated his life to serving his country and others in need. During his military career of 21 years, he was deployed to Asia, Europe and Africa, including a very challenging humanitarian mission to Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope. Upon his return from Somalia, Sergeant First Class Hullett and his family moved to Panama where he provided support to Operations Safe Haven and Safe Passage while assigned to the Jungle Operations Training Center.

Amy says being a member of a military family, the namesake is super special and loves when people ask about his name and sharing information about David and his service. Learn more about the Bell family here.

If you would like to learn more about WCC’s MFSD program, click here.

Kevin and Clifford: From Cap & Gown to Courtroom

October 4, 2019/in Case Studies, Warrior Stories /by WCC Comms

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.”

BI Cares Foundation Donates $50,000 to WCC Through Viral “Power of Us” Campaign to Support Veterans

May 30, 2019/in Stories of Impact /by WCC Comms

“Pets are love.” “For the Mission.” “Together. Inspire. Win.”

Those were just a few of the more than 700 submissions of posts and photos shared through Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation’s (BI Cares) “Power of Us” social media campaign. In May, BI Cares donated $50,000 to Warrior Canine Connection through the campaign.

A nonprofit created to improve the health and lives of people and animals, BI Cares encouraged the public to post what the “Power of Us” meant to them by sharing a meaningful or inspirational photo and a few words on social media. Spread over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the campaign resulted in more than 700 posts utilizing the campaign hashtag, #PowerOfUs. BI Cares provided a monetary donation for each post for a grand total of $50,000 to WCC.

“BI Cares is an amazing supporter that is making a real difference in the lives of our Veterans and their beloved service dogs who support them,” said Rick Yount, executive director and founder, Warrior Canine Connection. “The Foundation has demonstrated a true commitment to not only improving human and animal health but also to a culture of giving back, and we are immensely thankful for their support.”

As you can see from some of the screenshots, the outpouring was overwhelming; posts included photos of Veterans with their dogs, people with their pets and, of course, WCC supporters and volunteers from all over the country.

“Part of what drives Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation is the belief that people and animals share a fundamental bond — a bond that inspires passion, companionship and a meaningful connection,” said Karen Iannella, president, Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation. “To demonstrate our commitment to this bond, we chose to partner with Warrior Canine Connection, whose work aligns with our mission to improve the health and lives of people and animals.”

Visit @BoehringerIngelheim on Facebook or use #PowerOfUs to see the complete campaign photos and posts.

Warrior Canine Connection Receives $75,000 Grant from PetSmart Charities® to Bring the Healing Power of Pets to Veterans Through its Mission Based Trauma Recovery Program

December 4, 2018/in Press Releases /by WCC Comms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2018

BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection knows that pets have the remarkable ability to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, improve our mood and bring us unconditional love. That’s why, with the help of a new $75,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the organization is aiming to improve the quality of life for Veterans with combat wounds through its Mission Based Trauma Recovery Program (MBTR).

With this grant funding, Warrior Canine Connection will support its MBTR Program to enlist Service Members and Veterans to train service dogs for their fellow Veterans. The training model provides Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are in treatment at the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing. MBTR also harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos in which Warriors train service dogs for fellow Veterans; through the process, they learn to focus on the dogs and their mission to help another Veteran.

“PetSmart Charities is a true leader and driver in support of the health and welfare of animals, and we are so grateful for their endorsement and support of our programs,” said Warrior Canine Connection Founder and Executive Director Rick Yount. “The emotional and physical support that service dogs provide to our Veterans is invaluable, and we’re excited to use this funding to help support our mission and to meet the growing need for Warrior support by training and providing highly skilled service dogs to our Veterans.”

Veterans who have participated in WCC’s unique form of canine-assisted therapy have reported that it has significantly improved their self-worth, peer relationships and family dynamics, among other positive attributes.

“As the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, we are committed to supporting programs that bring people and pets together,” said Sima Thakkar, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “The MBTR Program is a great example of how pets can enrich our lives and heal invisible and/or physical wounds. Thanks to our donor nationwide, we are proud to partner with the team at Warrior Canine Connection and support the expansion of this tremendous program that aims to improve the quality of life for so many Veterans.”

Last year alone, PetSmart Charities granted more than $1.8 million to support programs aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals through greater access to service animals and animal-assisted therapy programs. Funding from PetSmart Charities supports best practices that enhance the human-animal bond and finds forever homes and families for pets in need. For more information, visit www.PetSmartCharities.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, visitwww.warriorcanineconnection.org.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 500,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission under four key areas of support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets and Providing Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting almost $340 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 15 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmart CharitiesInc

Media Contact:
Warrior Canine Connection 24-Hour PetSmart Charities
Beth Bourgeois Media Line: 623-587-2177
Media & Public Relations Officer719-216-3206
beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org

WCC Receives $50,000 Grant from William H. Donner Foundation, Inc.

October 9, 2018/in Press Releases /by WCC Comms

BOYDS, Md. – Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is pleased to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from the William H. Donner Foundation in support of its mission to train and place service dogs for Veterans with visible and invisible wounds.

WCC uses a Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) therapy model designed as an intervention for combat Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. The MBTR model provides Veterans with a sense of purpose while they are receiving treatment at VA, DoD and community-based treatment centers. It is designed to remediate their symptoms of combat stress, such as isolation, emotional numbness and re-experiencing events from their combat days. MBTR also harnesses the healing power of the Warrior Ethos in which Warriors train service dogs for fellow Veterans; through the process, they learn to focus on the dogs and their mission to help another Veteran.

“Whether it’s birthing, caring for and socializing a new litter of puppies, holding training sessions or matching service dogs with Veterans, there’s no shortage of work or support needed to sustain our daily mission,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, WCC. “Everything we do is made possible by our loyal partners, including the William H. Donner Foundation, which supported WCC with grant funding in 2017 and again this year. Its generosity and support help provide highly trained service dogs for our Veterans and we are deeply grateful for their support.”

Training a service dog requires emotionally-based praise that challenges patterns of emotional numbing often associated with PTS. Learning to communicate assertively, practicing patience, and demonstrating empathy are skills that improve social and emotional competence—behaviors compromised by PTS and TBI.

To date, WCC has provided MBTR to more than 4,500 wounded Veterans from all branches of service, and placed 62 highly-trained assistance dogs at no cost to Veterans or their Military Families.

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

Warrior Canine Connection to offer Service Dog Training at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health in Denver Area

May 31, 2018/in Press Releases /by WCC Comms

New Partnership to Help Expand Breadth of Program Interventions for Veteran Patients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2018

AURORA, Colorado – Today, Warrior Canine Connection announced that it is partnering with the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus to offer service dog training as part of its roster of MIBH’s interventions available to its patients.

This new Aurora-based location marks 10 program sites where WCC administers its Mission Based Trauma Recovery model, whereby Warriors recovering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries help train service dogs for their fellow Veterans.

“We are proud to partner with the Marcus Institute for Brain Health and thrilled to expand our programming to the Colorado Front Range area,” said Rick Yount, founder and executive director, Warrior Canine Connection. “MIBH is a premier service provider for our nation’s Veterans, and we consider it a privilege to offer service dog training as part of its extensive program offerings to help our Warriors heal and grow.”

The Marcus Institute for Brain Health (MIBH) provides specialty care for military Veterans and retired athletes struggling with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (including concussion) and co-morbid psychological health issues. MIBH offers comprehensive care for the physical, emotional and cognitive changes that can accompany trauma to the head. Emphasis is placed on detailed evaluation and treatment; each patient is treated as an individual with a personalized treatment plan.

“The Marcus Institute for Brain Health is delighted to have Warrior Canine Connection join us in partnership here on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus in caring for military Veterans with TBI and psychological health conditions,” said Dr. James Kelly, executive director, MIBH. “WCC’s Ann Spader and one-year-old Labrador Retriever “Joseph” have brought unique opportunities for health and wellness to our interdisciplinary treatment program. We are certain that involving our patients in service dog training adds a dimension of holistic well-being and social engagement that WCC has become renown for introducing to the care of those with the invisible wounds of war.”

Each service dog training session runs for a total of four weeks. “Joseph,” the resident service dog in training, will soon be accompanied by a second dog that will be added to the program in the coming weeks.

For more information, please contact Beth Bourgeois, Warrior Canine Connection, at beth.bourgeois@warriorcanineconnection.org or 719-216-3206.

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, help in the reintegration back into their families and communities, and promote consideration of a potential career path as a service dog trainer. For more information, visit warriorcanineconnection.org.

About Marcus Institute for Brain Health
At the MIBH, our complete focus is to help you get better. People struggling with the persistent effects of mild to moderate brain injuries see changes in emotions, physical functioning, and thinking. These changes directly affect everyday life and impact how we see ourselves as well as relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. At the MIBH, we believe in wellness for you and for your loved ones. We encourage your family to participate in your care. Health and wellness extend to all parts of your life, and we believe that with the right tools we can help make this your reality.

For many years, people struggled alone with mild to moderate brain injuries. Concussions have been misunderstood as “just a bump on the head.” Today we know differently. There are clear changes in brain functioning after injury and for many people there are long-term changes. This is the reality for military Veterans who may also struggle with PTS, depression, and anxiety. Our retired athletes are faced with the possibility of sport-related brain changes. We know that treatment for TBIs and changes in psychological health requires a sophisticated healthcare team. The MIBH exists to fill this critical need for comprehensive, customized care.

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