My K9, Storm, has had an incredible impact on my life. I have had several dogs as pets, but never had I achieved the bond that I have with Storm, a female Belgian Malinois. She is forever bringing into focus my understanding and a different way of seeing the world around me. These are very special animals; bred, reared, and trained in a tradition forgotten by most. My thinking was if a K9 can have this much impact on me, I needed to share this experience with others. I never considered having a trained K9 as a companion and I certainly did not understand how beneficial one could be for me and my family. They can provide home protection, retrieve prosthetic limbs, assist in mobility, detect depression and seizures, rebuild trust issues, help with situational awareness, rebuild social interaction and communication breakdowns, and simply bring peace and happiness at times when it is most needed. Our mission is to provide an environment where damaged warriors can interact with dogs. At the Frog Dog K9 compound we have created a setting where veterans can come and do what they are comfortable doing; i.e. navigating obstacles, shooting, rappelling, fishing, swimming, and spending time with dogs. I quickly realized how bringing guys out here was helping them re-adjust. Now I am working on creating an opportunity to help these veterans heal and navigate the physical aspects of day-to-day living with or without a K9. I believe we are having an impact.
