Animal Welfare United States Project #36062

Help Fund Service Dogs for Veterans

Project Report | May 28, 2024
Paw-sitively Powerful Volunteers at WCC

By Beth Bourgeois | Media and Public Relations Office

At Warrior Canine Connection (WCC), volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization. Their dedication and selflessness are the driving force behind every success we achieve. As we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month this April, let’s take a moment to honor these incredible individuals who pour their hearts into supporting our mission of healing Service Members and Veterans through our Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) programs. Join us in expressing our deepest gratitude for their unwavering commitment and boundless compassion.

Here’s a snapshot of the impact volunteers made for WCC in 2023.

A total of 623 volunteers assisted WCC across 15 program sites.
1,310 Veterans served through 10,077 hours of animal-assisted therapy, which more than doubled the hours of animal-assisted therapy provided to Veterans and their military family members from 2022.
Volunteers spent a total of 128,684 hours helping; volunteer roles include puppy parents, sitters, whelping, admin, facilities, and transportation.
Donated volunteer time totals to an estimated value of $3,964,951 (based on $31.80 per hour) to WCC.

We are also proud to share that WCC volunteers received 175 Presidential Service Awards for their commitment in 2023.

What motivates them? Here’s what our volunteers have shared with us about their reasons for supporting WCC.

“Volunteering is important to me because I know that there is a dog who depends on me to give her the best training and love, and in turn, I know there is a long list of people who I have never met, who depend on volunteers to help them pair with their future dog,” shared Ayden N., WCC puppy raiser.

“Volunteering at WCC is important because it is a way for me to honor my daughter’s life of service and her sacrifice by helping to train amazing dogs for Veterans who need them,” said Doreen C., Gold Star Mother and WCC puppy raiser & puppy sitter.

“We owe a debt to those who’ve faithfully served our country. Volunteering with WCC allows me to give back to our Veterans and their families and it also makes me happy!” said Lynn M., WCC puppy raiser.

“Supporting my fellow Veterans has become even more important to me than my time in service. I see so many of my friends and family who are Veterans struggle, and I know there are millions of more Veterans who need help, and being able to train service dogs to help Veterans just makes such an impact,” shared Rob M., WCC puppy raiser.

“So many lives can be touched and affected positively by just one dog. I also have family that has served and is serving—this organization is hope,” said Renee N., WCC puppy sitter and whelping volunteer.

“I love the mission and dogs are the bestest,” shared Katherine G., WCC puppy raiser.

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20240201_Volunteers.pdf (PDF)

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Feb 8, 2024
Sam and Rachael: Together Every Step of the Way

By Beth Bourgeois | Public Relations and Media Officer

Oct 24, 2023
WCC Veteran-Service Dog Teams Graduate!

By Jennifer Wilder | Director of Development and Communications

WCC Graduation Reception

On September 23, 2023, Former Secretary of Defense, General (Ret.) James Mattis, a distinguished military leader renowned for his strategic brilliance, unwavering leadership, and deep commitment to national security, delivered the keynote address for Warrior Canine Connection's 2023 virtual graduation ceremony.

General Mattis’ illustrious career includes serving as a four-star Marine Corps general, culminating in his appointment as the 26th Secretary of Defense, and as an author. His strategic acumen and profound dedication to the security and well-being of our nation have earned him widespread acclaim both nationally and internationally.

General Mattis also has a more personal connection to WCC, as he is the namesake for WCC’s “Mattis,” a facility dog trained and placed by the organization in 2022. Upon being nominated for the honor, General Mattis shared, “By training dogs for fellow Veterans, Warrior Canine Connection carries on that finest American tradition of assisting one another through the tough times in life,” said General James Mattis.

This year's graduation was WCC's largest-ever class of Veteran-Service DSog Teams. In total, 21 Veterans were honored and received skilled assistance dogs from the organization.

In addition to a virtual ceremony, WCC hosted an in-person celebration at its Healing Quarters in Maryland. Despite very rainy conditions, more than 350 members of this year’s and prior graduating classes attended the celebration, as well as puppy raisers, namesake families who have dogs named after them or a loved one, and Veterans who helped to train WCC's dogs through the organization's Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training.

WCC's MBTR program engages Warriors in recovery who learn to train mobility service dogs for fellow Warriors as a means of addressing their own symptoms of combat stress. Already more than 8,600 Veterans have benefitted from this unique form of Animal Assisted Therapy.

WCC Graduation Reception

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