K9s For Warriors was founded in 2011 by Shari Duval who was inspired by her son, Brett Simon, a contractor who returned from two tours in Iraq and was suffering from severe post-traumatic stress.
Program
K9s For Warriors evaluates and trains rescued dogs before providing them to veterans as service dogs for no charge. The organization accommodates veterans during a three-week live-in program to facilitate bonding with a trained dog, following which the veterans are sent home along with their service dog. As of January 2019, K9s For warriors has graduated 500 warrior-canine teams.The organization claims that 95% of dogs used in the program are rescues, with the other 5% coming from breeders or being surrendered by owners. In 2018, the organization opened its second training facility near Gainesville, FL, named the Gold Family Campus.
Media coverage
There are many success stories of K9s For Warriors program beneficiaries. K9s For Warriors has been covered extensively in mainstream media. In November 2015, New Orleans Saintshead coachSean Payton was nominated for the NFL's "Salute to Service" award for his work with K9s for Warriors. Supermodel Kate Upton and husband Justin Verlander, an MLB player, have held fundraising events for K9s For Warriors and the SPCA. In 2017, it was covered by PEOPLE magazine. A documentary available to the public was released on a small scale in New York City in 2018. The documentary is called "A New Leash on Life: The K9s For Warriors Story" and was covered by FOX & Friends. It was produced by Emmy award-winning director, Nick Nanton The documentary's trailer is on . It is available on . The documentary was presented at the where it won four Emmys for Direction, Editing, Photography and Documentary. Shari received the highest award the Daughters of the American Revolution presents, the Americanism Medal of Honor, at Continental Congress in June 2019.
Scientific Studies
In 2015, K9s For Warriors entered into a partnership with Purdue University. The goal was to verify scientifically that service dogs are an effective treatment for veterans with PTSD. The study is the first published research to define the biobehavioral effects of service dogs on veterans with PTSD. This study was able to show that those with PTSD have less anger, less anxiety and better sleep. Currently, a large-scale clinical trial is underway at the National Institutes of Health to further study the efficacy of service dogs for veterans with PTSD. The length of the trial allows for a better understanding of the interrelationships between psychological and behavioral processes, PTSD symptoms and service dogs.
