K9s For Warriors: Meet The Warriors

Charlie & Lady Cameo

Charlie is no newcomer to K9s For Warriors. The 28-year Navy Veteran was one of the first Warriors to get a Service Dog from K9s For Warriors when the program first started in 2011. His first dog, Slider, made a profound impact on his life. The two spent 13 wonderful years together. Charlie shared that if it weren't for Slider, he wouldn't be here today. When Slider sadly got older and passed away, Charlie started regressing and knew he needed to come back through the program. K9s For Warriors paired Charlie with Lady Cameo in March 2024. Charlie says the two immediately bonded and she was able to sense his triggers. Lady Cameo has brought Charlie out of some dark days and made him hopeful again. Lady Cameo comes to work with Charlie every day at the Jacksonville Naval Museum.

Charlie wants others to know how Service Dogs can be a tool for struggling Veterans. Charlie's experience with two Service Dogs is a testament to how Service Dogs can help heal Veterans with invisible wounds of war.

Stephanie & Penny

Stephanie is an Army Veteran who served from 1987 to 1992. She found out about K9s For Warriors while at a local restaurant. As she was leaving, she saw Warriors coming in as part of their training. When she saw the Service Dogs with their veterans, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and attributes this experience to being at the right place at the right time. K9s For Warriors paired Stephanie with a rescue dog named Penny. Before K9s, Penny was surrendered with her siblings as an unwanted litter to a North Carolina Shelter in 2023. While Penny spent some long days in the shelter, she stood out because of her playful personality and ability to get along with other dogs and people. K9s rescued Penny from the shelter because of her potential to become a Service Dog. During training, Stephanie enjoyed learning comprehensive preparation for various public situations. She says before Penny, she avoided going out in public unless it was necessary. Now, she and Penny go to stores, restaurants and more all the time. Penny’s constant presence has provided Stephanie with reassurance and comfort. The two have been together for just over six months and are building each other's confidence as a pair. Stephanie says that their bond is so strong, Penny can wake Stephanie from nightmares. Penny has fit right into the household, along with Stephanie’s pet cat.

Jon & Douglas

Jon spent 10 years in the Army and served five combat missions overseas. After his military career, he started a business with his wife, working up to 20 hours daily. He says his rare moments of downtime felt like total darkness – literally and figuratively. Jon says he never opened the blinds. He didn’t know the depth of his problems.

“During that time, I had a big hole in my life,” he admitted. “I isolated myself from society and my family. I was reserved, reluctant and detached.”

His wife stepped in. She thought a Service Dog might help Jon and even filled out the paperwork at K9s For Warriors for him. Jon remembers the moment he arrived at K9s for his training. He wanted to turn around and go back home. Everything changed for him when he met his Service Dog, Douglas.

“Immediately, my life changed,” Jon said. “We have an incredible bond, and it only got stronger every day.”

Jon immediately loved Douglas’s playful personality. However, Douglas also knew when it was time to work and how to use his skills to help Jon stay in the present moment. Douglas watched Jon’s back and helped him feel confident. Jon knew his dark days were coming to a close. Jon recommends K9s For Warriors to other Veterans because of the impact Douglas has had on his life so far.

“At K9s, it's about saving the lives of the Veterans and dogs.”

Jennifer & Ben

Jennifer is an Air Force Veteran who served from 2001 to 2006. She felt she needed to do her part after 9/11 and wanted to set an example for her family. She was inspired to apply to K9s For Warriors after hearing success stories from fellow Veterans who had Service Dogs. Jennifer's hope for recovery was simple: healing. She says within healing herself, she hoped to become a better mom. She wanted to show her family that you must take care of yourself to take care of others. “There’s a reason they tell you put your mask on first in case of an emergency on a plane,” she said. At K9s For Warriors, Jennifer met her Service Dog, Ben. She immediately noticed how much better she slept at night. Ben helped her stay in the present moment. Jennifer says she has found so much more to be happy about and has felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. The two have been paired for just over six months and are looking forward to many more journeys together.

TD & Cooper

T.D. is an Army Veteran of 20+ years. He realized his need for companionship when he moved to Orlando in 2020 after his divorce. He has four adult children and three grandchildren. T.D. says that while he is immensely proud of his family for being successful in their own lives, moving to a new city felt lonely.

He joined the military after his friends told him how fun it was.

“I wanted to join so badly just to see if their stories were true,” he said... and he was off to Basic Training.

He spent five years in a combat-related environment. After service, T.D. noticed feelings of stress. Anxiety plagued his life. He avoided confrontation of any kind. That’s when he learned about finding a forever friend in a Service Dog.

K9s For Warriors paired T.D. with Cooper, a lovable lab. T.D. felt unconditional love immediately. He finally had the companionship he had missed for years.

“My Service Dog restored my freedom,” he said. “Thank you for saving two lives.”

Russell & Kodiak

Russell is a 20-year Navy Veteran from Central FL. He worked in life support systems – packing parachutes, teaching others how to survive in the air and water and other tasks. He has always loved animals and always felt like they’d understood him better than most humans. Before applying to K9s For Warriors, Russell said he thinks a dog could do things for him that he couldn’t do himself. K9s paired Russell with a lab named Kodiak. Russell says it was an instant connection. He felt like they needed each other, and the bond was perfect timing. Russell believes other Veterans who are in the place he was in before Kodiak should consider applying for their own Service Dog. He says K9s is truly focused on the Warrior and their success in the program.

Keith & Cessna

Keith is a 17-year Marine Veteran from Middleburg, FL. He graduated from K9s in Oct. 2022. Keith described his transition back to civilian life like Forrest Gump... he felt like he could not stop running. He enlisted at age 18 to spite his mother. He had people around him telling him he couldn’t succeed in the Marines, but he wanted to prove them wrong. He was medically discharged after an unexpected injury. Keith saw K9s For Warriors on the news and decided to apply for his own service dog. He says his service dog, Cessna, allowed him to stop running. Keith is a single father to a 10-year-old child with special needs. Through everything, his son always comes first. At first, his son was hesitant about Cessna, but he warmed up to the idea of a dog in the family and even started his own business: picking up after neighborhood dogs. It was a way for the family to bond. Keith’s journey with Cessna has been one of choosing himself after being a giver his entire life.

John & Henry

John was a sophomore in high school on 9/11. His mother was flying out of Logan Airport that day. When he heard about the attacks, he couldn’t get ahold of her. He later learned she was safe, but that fear solidified his decision to enlist in the Navy. John quickly learned how much he was putting himself in danger. He self-medicated to get through the daily turmoil and was eventually medically discharged. Returning to civilian life was a shock. He felt like he couldn’t face his issues head on and continued to self-medicate. When he moved to Florida to be closer to family, he found K9s For Warriors through a Veteran friend. He wondered if he was “broken” enough for a Service Dog. He began comparing his combat experiences to others. With encouragement from his loved ones, John filled out the application. Months later, he was paired with a poodle mix named Henry. The two had an instant connection. John said a weight he didn’t even know he was carrying was lifted off his shoulders. John and Henry have been a team for three and a half years. John says Henry has helped him feel like himself again.

Now you know their stories. This Veteran's Day, we have teamed up with K9s for Warriors & First Coast News to bring you the 2024 K9s For Warriors Veterans Day Telethon on Veterans Day, Monday November 11th, 2024 - 6:00AM-7:00PM.

You can donate using this link: www.k9sforwarriors.org

You can also text K9s to 41444

On the day of the telethon, you can also call 904-686-1902 to donate

Learn more HERE