By Jennifer Wilder | Director of Development
“It brings tears to my eyes how Luke has changed Ryan’s life,” says puppy raiser Laurie Higuera of Napa, CA.
In December 2020, the American Kennel Club bestowed its prestigious Award for Canine Excellence (ACE) on seven-year-old Luke for his work as a service dog for veteran U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant E5 Ryan Garrison. Luke is a handsome black Lab and trained mobility service dog. He was paired with Ryan in 2016 by Warrior Canine Connection and the two have been virtually inseparable ever since.
“I really can’t say enough about what Warrior Canine Connection and my service dog Luke have done for me,” said Ryan. “Thanks to Luke, my anxiety is under control, I’ve significantly decreased the medication I take, and he’s really helped me with my mobility. It’s not just that though — since being matched with Luke, I have a whole different outlook on life — a positive one.”
Ryan Garrison enlisted in the U.S. Air Force right after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11. He was a self-described “floundering” fifth-year senior in college working on his third major at the time and was planning on joining the Reserves, but that fateful day compelled him to change his course. He dropped out of school to enlist in the Air Force, where he served until 2016, including three deployments.
Ryan comes from a family steeped in military tradition: his grandfather was in World War II; his other grandfather — Vietnam; his brother is a Master Sergeant E7 in the Air Force; his uncles and cousins have all served in different branches of the Armed Forces. So, the career move felt like a natural fit for Ryan, only it was shorter lived than originally planned.
In 2006, Ryan was in Iraq working on the flight line. He was working on the K-loader, essentially a cargo lift, and while inspecting the load, a sheep farmer who had been paid by local insurgents, ran up and shot an RPG over the fence, which hit the K-loader and the blast was so hard, it blew Ryan off the vehicle. He sustained serious injuries, including fractured and torn disks in his back, which have resulted in numerous surgeries, chronic pain and anxiety.
He struggled for years, but after seeing the impact of another WCC service dog paired with a friend, Ryan decided to apply for his own service dog through Warrior Canine Connection. The organization was honored to place Luke with Ryan in 2016.
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