https://shepherds4sheepdogs.org/feed/atom https://shepherds4sheepdogs.org/meta/logo.jpg My latest blog posts 2025-04-24T19:10:00+00:00 c81e728d9d4c2f636f067f89cc14862c

Branch: Army , Location: Iraq , Length of Service: 7.5 years , “It just changes you.” This sentiment is understood by every soldier, everywhere, since the beginning of time., Kevin served in the U.S. Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom II, and within the first week of his deployment, Fallujah fell back into enemy control. His job as a “heavy wheel” diesel mechanic required him to be among transportation units who obviously travelled and were also out in the open quite frequently. The threat of buried IED’s, mortar fire, and arial ambushes were a daily occurrence in Kevin’s day., Kevin is a man of few words and seemingly quiet, but his head is always on a swivel and he’s watching everything around him. He didn’t share much of the details of his deployment, but being in the heart of the most deadly and aggressive urban combat zones during the fall of Fallujah, you can only imagine what he has encountered. More importantly, Americans follow “rules” when they fight, Iraqis don’t., “A lot of things happened over there that CNN doesn’t know about.”, Coming back to regular, normal, life is an extreme adjustment. At any point, his mind snaps back to seeing explosions, hearing gunfire, and feeling the pressure of survival. Having a family with 3 teenagers, Kevin’s priority is always situational awareness and protection., One of the most concerning things about conversing with Kevin was learning about what he has gone through back in the states. There are tons of establishments offering veteran support, but it’s not always accessible. The VA is SO busy that waiting lists are much too long or services are of lesser quality than they should be. Other agencies and organizations that claim to help leave many broken promises or require so much red tape, their service is hardly worth it. If it’s happening to Kevin and his friends, you can bet it’s happening to many others as well. Between the PTSD and lack of accessible help, many veterans struggle to re-find their place in society. In many cases, divorce, substance abuse, homelessness, and—unfortunately—suicide are often the result of unmanaged PTSD., Sending many down a dark path, PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury are not just concepts or “being sad” because of something that happened. Trauma —which can be physical, emotional, or psychological — causes actual physical effects on the brain. After traumatic events, neurotransmitters fire differently and change the way the brain comprehends its surroundings. Trauma most often affects the Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Prefrontal Cortex. The Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex work together to control emotional responses and instinctual survival skills—like fear. The Hippocampus stores and retrieves memories and differentiates between past and present experiences. Injury to these areas results in the lack of ability to rationalize fear on the scale of a threat to survival to not-a-big-deal issue. Also, not being able to differentiate between then and now causes survivors of trauma to re-live incidents, just as severe, and at any time., The good news is that the brain is ever-changing and always learning. Effects of PTSD and TBI can be lessened over time, if the appropriate measures are taken. Therapy or counseling is one of the ways to help the brain heal from traumatic events. Increasing Serotonin and Dopamine levels also aid in the re-wiring of brain function. The “happy’ and “feel-good” hormones can come from a variety of positive experiences, one of which is having contact with an affectionate animal. (Dr. Todd Thatcher, Highland Springs Specialty Clinic), “Knowing that there’s people out there willing to help us makes us feel like we’re wanted. It’s a good feeling.”, As a result of the generosity by many Caldwell individuals, Kevin was able to meet his new best friend at the Fortified K-9 Training Facility in Christiana, TN on May 20, 2022. The selected recipients were able to interact with many dogs, but Katera chose Kevin. She walked right over to him and put her head in his lap and that was that! Within just minutes of meeting, Katera chose Kevin! , Katera is a 2yr. old Belgian Malinois who is incredible loving, affectionate, and soft. Between feeling appreciated and cared for, and finding the perfect puppy pal, Kevin’s on his way to experiencing increased levels of Serotonin and Dopamine daily!, From the moment she saw him, she hasn't left his side. Kevin says he didn't realize how life-changing having Katera would be. She goes everywhere with him, even to work! , "Katera has changed my life by being a constant friend to me. She goes every with me and knows when things are getting too much for me. I really hope other veterans can experience what having a service dog is like because it's amazing." Kevin K.]]> 2024-11-20T04:48:22+00:00 a87ff679a2f3e71d9181a67b7542122c

Branch: Marines, NYC PD, Location(s): Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, and Africa, Time Served: 10 years, “Living the rest of my life hating it is disrespectful to the friends I had who lost theirs.”, Talking about the past is challenging for many people who are or were in the service. While the reasons vary, a few recurring themes emerge: not wanting to be looked down upon, pitied, or judged due to the “disability” label; feeling unworthy of help because others may have it worse; or fearing that expressing their feelings makes them weak. For these reasons, many veterans suppress their past, burying it deeper and deeper. They often feel they must carry the burden alone, believing it’s no one else’s responsibility. The truth is that all human beings have psychological and emotional needs as real as physical ones. Regardless of how tough someone may be, no single person can bear the weight of the world alone. Speaking out isn’t a sign of weakness; in fact, it’s often easier to push people away and hide one’s vulnerabilities., Chris’s story remains mostly vague to protect his safety. After the Marines, he took a job with a federal agency that required him to blend in rather than stand out. In both the Marines and law enforcement, Chris worked undercover in various high-risk situations, protecting those who needed it and neutralizing threats. Though many details are confidential, there are some events that help convey the gravity of his experience., In 2006, just before boarding a plane to Kuwait, Chris learned his wife—married to him for only a few months—was pregnant. Excited yet apprehensive, he carried on with his deployment, experiencing the pregnancy through snail-mailed sonograms. He bonded with another Marine who was also expecting his first child. Originally, Chris was scheduled to return in time for his son’s birth, but leaked information from an Iraqi police officer revealed the base’s flight schedules to the enemy. With helicopters frequently under fire, Chris was grounded, missing his son’s birth. Only five days later, while delivering supplies to a humanitarian facility, a hidden bomb detonated. Chris, who was outside the vehicle guiding it, survived, but his friend—the driver—did not, never getting the chance to meet his baby girl. Chris sustained serious physical injuries from the blast but didn't fully realize the psychological impact until much later., Over time, working as a police officer infiltrating NYC gangs and living on edge worsened his paranoia. PTSD and TBI symptoms became evident, but Chris believed his struggles were minor compared to others and hesitated to seek therapy. Before passing away, his grandmother encouraged him to get help, reminding him that his reclusive behavior wasn’t normal. He kept his promise and began attending therapy, where he slowly unraveled the effects of his trauma and started his healing journey., “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to better yourself, because if you spend the rest of your life hating it, it’s disrespectful to the others who lost theirs. My friend didn’t make it home—I did. How would I honor him if I didn’t try to be better?”, Chris was paired with Soleil, a 1.5-year-old Belgian Malinois, on Friday, May 20, 2022, at the Fortified K-9 Training facility. Soleil (SO-lay), meaning “Sun” in French, is a fitting companion for someone seeking to move away from darkness. She’s sweet as pie but fiercely protective, always “watching Chris’s six,” allowing him to feel safer and freer than he has in years.]]> 2024-11-20T04:46:07+00:00 e4da3b7fbbce2345d7772b0674a318d5

Branch: Air Force , Time Served: 6.5 yrs; 16 yrs Fire and EMS, Location(s): South Korea, Saudia Arabia, and Bahrain, ‘Pay it Forward’ has never been so accurate…, While serving in the U.S Air Force, Kenny was a heavy weapons specialist primarily focused in security. Whether he was over the armory, nuclear weapons convoys, personal details, or the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, Kenny was responsible for a lot of important and expensive equipment. And frequently subject to heavy fire. , In 1993, Kenny had fulfilled his contract and began the transition back to civilian life. The change didn’t come easy. For almost 2 years, Kenny felt lost and struggled with the lack of structure and comrade the Air Force had provided. He felt like he had no purpose. The many combat situations that he had experienced also took a toll on his brain patterning. In 1995, Kenny decided he would become a volunteer firefighter and then began studying to be an EMT. With no previous background in medicine, Kenny had to start from the beginning. Despite the schooling, Kenny discovered pre-hospital care to be his new passion and continued on in order to serve as a paramedic for the next 16 years until retirement in 2021. , In 2008, Kenny and his partner were on stand-by while the Caldwell County SWAT team was executing a search warrant in the hidden valley area. Bullets flew and 2 operators were hit in the process, but Kenny responded instantly with life saving aid (and eventually the pain killers) so both operators could be transported to the hospital for further care, one of which was the Assistant Team Lead, Sergeant Erle Davis!, In 2017, Kenny met one of our veterans from last year working at a by-veteran, for-veteran non-profit taking veterans on fishing and hunting trips. He got Kenny involved with the Community Based Outpatient Clinic associated with the Hickory VA which began the process to get Kenny the proper diagnosis and the disability benefits he had earned. Billy encouraged Kenny to reach out us for more support. During the interview process Kenny didn’t know Erle worked here and Erle didn’t know who Kenny was! Amazingly small world!, Kenny presented a unique situation that provided us with a potential new strategy to help vets. He already had a dog who he had been working with in various obedience skills and who showed the appropriate intellect and personality, Steve, from Fortified K9, took the challenge to see if Kenny’s pre-established dog could pass service dog standard testing. Steve was willing to keep the same price he charges us for one of his dogs for 1 month of boarding and training with Kenny’s dog. We sent Ruger, a 4.5yr old American Pitbull to Steve’s facility in TN in March to see if Steve could get Ruger up to par. , By the time Kenny was reunited with Ruger at the end of April, Kenny was floored at Ruger’s progress. Ruger learned quickly and efficiently. Steve was able to further his obedience training, practice him in social settings, and demand a level of performance that allowed Ruger to pass the qualifying standards; Ruger was able to receive his official NC Service Dog Status ID badge! Training a vet’s pre-established dog opens the possibilities to be able to provide this service to so many more vets. And, the bond between beast and master has already been established, which is the hardest part in picking a brand new dog!, *** We will be accepting applications for training existing dogs as well as continuing providing new dogs for the future Shepherds for Sheepdogs Events. Veteran owned dogs will be required to undergo a different application process including professional screening for appropriate innate skills. NOT all veteran-owned dogs will be accepted. ***, We are so happy to return the favor that Kenny has provided Erle and so many others. Both home and abroad, Kenny has intentionally had everyone else’s back, it’s about time he gets someone to have his!]]> 2025-04-24T19:10:00+00:00 1679091c5a880faf6fb5e6087eb1b2dc

Branch: Air Force , Location(s): Iraq, Kurdistan, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia , Time Served: 16 years , “Just like there are threats around every corner, there are solutions behind every corner. You just need to find them.”, Eric primarily served on emergency service teams/SWAT while in the Air Force, specifically handling hostage rescues, counterterrorism, and criminal investigations., Spending 16 years during the most formative years of life being told exactly what to do and how to live, being trained to think and act in a specific way while surviving in hostile and dangerous environments, and being expected to perform almost mechanically—it’s no wonder that so many of our service members leave the military feeling lost., Upon leaving the service, everything they’ve been trained for and accustomed to is suddenly gone. These individuals are expected to re-enter civilian life and adapt immediately, even though everything they’ve done—their job, their attitudes, their sense of humor, the things they’ve seen and experienced, the way they talk and dress—has been shaped by a different way of life. The abrupt expectation to shift to something completely opposite, with little to no support, adds to the difficulty., Like many others, Eric struggled with the transition. The lack of structure and camaraderie, the gap between soldiers and civilians, and the symptoms of PTSD—anxiety, night terrors, forgetfulness, headaches, and uncontrollable emotions—made returning to ‘normal life’ far harder than most civilians realize., Eric felt that Shepherds for Sheepdogs came into his life at just the right time. After recently being laid off, he was struggling deeply with internal issues and had begun to spiral to a very low point. A friend suggested Shepherds for Sheepdogs, along with other VA benefits., When he applied for a service dog through Shepherds for Sheepdogs, Eric didn’t know what to expect, but he approached it with a hopeful attitude. On his first day at the training facility in Tennessee, he felt at ease as he interacted with multiple dogs. He felt a special connection to Jett, who seemed equally interested in him. Jett wandered around interacting with different people but kept returning to Eric, lying at his feet. The peace and connection he felt in her presence began to lift his depression. Eric’s outlook transformed that day; his apprehension and hopelessness were replaced with a desire to reach out to other veterans and encourage them through the same process that had given him hope. , Eric didn’t give up in the face of his struggles. Instead, he found a solution that helped him navigate toward success.]]> 2024-11-20T04:45:57+00:00 8f14e45fceea167a5a36dedd4bea2543

Branch: Marines, Location(s): Iraq and Afghanistan, Time served: 11.5 years , During his time in the USMC, Don was part of a select group of Marines chosen for a task force with extremely high-security clearance, making him responsible for a multitude of classified documents, operations, and locations. Due to the nature of his role, he is limited in what he can discuss about his service. However, the lasting effects and daily struggles he now faces are evident., Don describes himself as highly reclusive, going out in public only when absolutely necessary. If he can’t order something online or if family members can’t get it for him, he often goes without until a trip becomes essential. He forces himself to attend doctor’s appointments, veteran support groups, and family gatherings, but each outing is highly stressful. His social anxiety manifests in severe gastrointestinal issues, causing frequent trips to the bathroom, and at times, his nerves make him vomit unexpectedly, adding to his anxiety about potential embarrassment. Another major challenge for Don is his inability to fall asleep or stay asleep until he reaches a point of physical exhaustion., “It’s not uncommon for me to go two or three days without sleep. Then, I’ll fall asleep at the worst times. I’ve fallen asleep while bending over to tie my shoes and woken up on the floor hours later. Once, I even passed out in my yard and slept until the next day.”, The effects of PTSD, combined with the dangers and instability of sleep deprivation, have significantly diminished Don’s quality of life. He needed someone to help break this cycle—enter Nyx!, Nyx, his 1.5-year-old female Belgian Malinois, weighs just under 50 pounds but has provided a unique level of companionship unlike his other pets. Nyx has developed a deep bond with Don, remaining highly attuned to his mood, movements, and needs. Her natural focus on Don made her an excellent candidate for service dog training through Shepherds for Sheepdogs. With professional training, she learned to nudge him awake if he falls asleep anywhere other than a bed or chair. Small and agile, Nyx can quietly fit under chairs, making her discreet when Don is in public. The added security and sense of safety Nyx provides has allowed Don to feel more comfortable in social settings. With reduced anxiety, his other health issues have also improved, ultimately enhancing his quality of life!]]> 2024-11-20T04:38:11+00:00 c9f0f895fb98ab9159f51fd0297e236d

Branch: Army, National Guard, Sheriff’s Deputy , Time Served: 22 years , Location(s): Afghanistan, Iraq , Keith has his share of remarkable stories, with 22 years of combined service in active duty, the NC National Guard, and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department. Over his eight deployments, Keith primarily served as Military Police, taking on roles like convoy security, personal protection detail, SWAT, detainee operations, and nuclear warhead protection. One of his most intense assignments came in 2003, during the capture of Saddam Hussein. The month between Hussein’s capture and execution was one of the highest-risk times for U.S. forces, and Keith was among those responsible for guarding him—no pressure!, After two decades of service, Keith medically retired in 2012, but his battles didn’t end there. Instead of external enemies, he now faced internal ones that required new methods of fighting. Many veterans, Keith included, share the mentality of always looking out for others, often overlooking their own needs. They frequently avoid resources they think others may need more, even if it comes at their own expense. This was true for Keith until he realized the depth of his struggle., “You gotta do self-aid before you can do buddy aid; otherwise, you’ll be no good for your buddy,” Keith reflects., Keith applied to the Shepherds for Sheepdogs program with his two-year-old, partially trained German Shepherd, Kai. During her evaluation, it became clear in minutes that she had exceptional potential. Naturally attentive and in-tune with Keith, Kai only needed structured guidance. She has spent a couple of months with Steve to work on her social skills and off-leash training. Kai has also learned to retrieve specific items on command—like Keith’s cane! , Each applicant has unique needs, some more physical, others more psychological. But in all cases, having a service animal like Kai improves confidence and reduces PTSD symptoms by bringing back the “buddy next to you” mentality: someone to look out for and someone to look out for them.]]> 2024-11-20T04:54:00+00:00 45c48cce2e2d7fbdea1afc51c7c6ad26

, Every good story has adrenaline-filled action, heart-wrenching grief, and a spectacular conclusion—some might even call it fate. For Deborah and Max, though, it felt more like "divine intervention.", After three years of active duty in the Army, working to clean up Vietnam and search for POWs and abandoned U.S. equipment, Deborah paused her service to raise her family. In 2000, she rejoined, serving an additional 13 years in the National Guard., In 2012, Deborah was deployed to Iraq for a short assignment as a weapons control officer, where she met her first love, Mallory, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois who had recently lost her first handler, KIA. Mallory, a bomb-sniffing dog, took her work seriously. Together, Deborah and Mallory would lead convoys, with Mallory detecting hidden bombs and Deborah marking their locations. Their trust was swift yet solid, essential to the convoy’s safety and mission success. , On March 17, 2013, an incident changed their lives forever. A hidden roadside bomb detonated close enough to severely injure them both—Deborah’s knees were shattered, and shrapnel embedded in her back; Mallory sustained injuries to her chest, neck, and paw. Both were medically retired after the incident. Deborah was permitted to keep Mallory, and together, they embarked on a long road to recovery. Deborah underwent a double knee replacement, and though the shrapnel was removed from her back, it left her with nerve damage and lifelong challenges., “Having Mallory by my side all these years is the only reason I made it,” Deborah shared. Taking her battle buddy home provided her with understanding and comfort that many veterans lack. Without Mallory, the toll of PTSD would have been much worse for Deborah., In March 2024, as Mallory’s health declined, Deborah faced the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to her best friend. Grieving deeply, she now had to confront her physical and mental struggles alone., Earlier in 2024, a local veteran had passed away, leaving behind a 7-year-old all-black German Shepherd, Max. A local rescue placed Max with a foster family, hoping to eventually find him a veteran to call his own. When Shepherds for Sheepdogs was contacted to help re-home Max, we knew it was a rare case, as we’d never worked directly with a rescue. After evaluating Max’s cognitive abilities and temperament, he passed with flying colors, demonstrating service dog potential., Months passed with Max in foster care, as no suitable veteran had been identified. Eventually, a contact at the DAV who’d heard of Deborah’s loss reached out, suggesting she meet Max. With Shepherds for Sheepdogs’ support, Max would receive official service dog training. Deborah applied, met all the requirements, and soon adopted Max! Shortly after, Max was sent to Tennessee to begin his training. Though he showed strong potential, Max initially struggled with separation anxiety after his first owner’s passing, especially when left alone or in parked cars. With consistent correction and confidence-building from his handler, Max regained his calm. After months of dedicated training, he completed service dog school successfully., Reuniting with Deborah has been a healing process for both. As Deborah said, “I’m so thankful to have Max home with me and trained so well! We go everywhere together, and I love him more than I ever thought I could love again. He’s my boy!”, This isn’t fate or coincidence—Max was meant for Deborah. She is our only female veteran of 2024, and Max naturally gravitates toward women, as he demonstrated in his foster home and with his trainer’s daughter. Max has already bonded deeply with Deborah, even alerting her twice to episodes of tachycardia, a task he wasn’t explicitly trained to do., - SGT Mallory was awarded the silver star upon retirement for saving the lives of many.]]> 2024-11-20T04:52:23+00:00