http://www.loyalguardianfoundation.com/

Loyal Guardian Foundation, 17383 US Highway 64, Somerville, TN (2026)

08/25/2026

🐾 Guardian Journal — The Empty Kennels

Today was one of those days where I stopped for a second and realized just how much is actually happening around here.

We have two service dogs out with their people now, starting overnights and three-day visits and moving into that next part of training. And honestly, seeing those empty kennels makes me so happy.

It sounds silly, but an empty kennel means something good happened. A dog moved forward. A person got the help they needed. And now there’s room for another dog.

There was a little moment today that made me laugh, too.

Someone stopped by asking if we had any smaller dogs. One of the staff told her no, because they were thinking about the dogs currently at Purpose for Paws.

When Josh heard about it, he immediately said, “No. You don’t ever tell somebody we don’t have dogs. If somebody is asking for a dog, the answer is yes. How can we help?”

😂

I could practically hear the passion in his voice.

Because that’s what he wants this place to become. Not just a place where dogs come to train, but a place where people can come and say, “I need a dog,” and we actually try to find the right one.

He was so bothered that we might have missed an opportunity to help someone that one of the team actually went down the road looking for her.

Meanwhile, his days are packed with dogs and service-dog training, and then somehow his nights are spent at the Guardian House framing walls.

Purpose for Paws is getting drywall. More dogs are coming in. Two service dogs are moving forward. There’s a diabetic alert dog and a seizure alert dog waiting on us.

It’s a LOT.

But I’ve noticed something about Josh.

The busier things get, the more alive he seems.

He keeps saying, “God’s got it.”

And honestly, I’m starting to believe him.

Because when I look at where we started and where we are now, I can see the progress. It isn’t perfect. It’s messy and exhausting and sometimes completely chaotic.

But it’s moving.

And maybe that’s the part I’m learning to appreciate most.

Progress doesn’t always look big. Sometimes it looks like an empty kennel.

❤️🐾

08/21/2026

🐾 Guardian Journal :

Today I watched Josh build walls.

Which honestly isn’t unusual around here. 😂 There is always something being built, fixed, trained, cleaned, or completely rethought.

But these walls are different.

After seeing one of the dogs go into a home and become nervous around things that would seem completely normal to us, Josh came back and said, “Okay. We need to fix that.”

Because a house is a LOT for a dog who has never really experienced one.

A bedroom. A kitchen. An office. A home gym. Different floors, sounds, smells, doors opening and closing, people moving from room to room.

We expect dogs to just walk into all of that and know what to do.

So instead of waiting for them to figure it out later, Josh decided to bring the home to them.

He started building walls inside Purpose for Paws to create a little mock house—four spaces where the dogs can learn what different parts of a home actually feel like before they go into their forever home.

And watching him do this, I understand why it matters so much to him.

Josh never really had a normal home growing up.

He didn’t have a family environment where a house felt safe and familiar. He spent parts of his childhood locked away in basements and rooms, so even something as simple as home can carry a lot of weight for him.

I’ve watched him walk into other people’s homes for training and become more alert. Things that are completely normal to that family aren’t necessarily normal to him.

And I think that’s part of why he notices these things in dogs.

He knows what it feels like to walk into an environment and think, “I don’t know how I’m supposed to act here.”

So when he saw a dog struggling with the same thing, he didn’t just accept it.

He changed the training.

That’s what I love about watching him work.

He doesn’t see a problem and say, “Well, that’s just how it is.”

He asks, “How do we fix it?”

So today, the walls went up.

Purpose for Paws is becoming a little more like a home—not to make the dogs perfect, but to make their future feel a little less foreign.

One wall. One dog. One lesson at a time. ❤️🐾

08/17/2026

🎉 WE HAVE A WINNER! 🎉

Okay guys, our very first Guardian Silent Auction is officially CLOSED! 🐾❤️

And congratulations to Jerry, who won our brand-new 1-ton mini split with a $200 bid! 🎉

$200 that goes right back into the dogs and the work we’re doing. And that’s something we’re grateful for.

Jerry, thank you for jumping in and supporting us! I’ll be delivering your mini split as soon as I get back. 🚚❄️

And honestly… this first auction taught us something.

We had 75 people look at the auction, but only one person actually placed a bid. So we’re thinking about what we can do differently and, more importantly, what YOU guys actually want.

So tell us! 👇

What would you like to see in future Guardian Silent Auctions?

Dog stuff?
Tools?
Home improvement stuff?
Gift cards?
Experiences?
Guardian merch?
Something completely random and ridiculous? 😂

We’re listening!

We don’t want to just throw things up for auction—we want to find things that you guys actually WANT while helping us raise money for the dogs, our service dog program, and everything we’re building.

So drop your ideas below! 👇

And Jerry… congratulations! 🎉

Thank you for being the first Guardian Silent Auction winner. ❤️🐾

Okay Guardian Pack… what should we auction next? 👀

08/11/2026

Okay guys… we’re doing something FUN. 👀

Josh and I have been trying to come up with ways to raise money for the service dogs without constantly saying, “Hey, please donate.” And we decided we’re going to start doing Guardian Silent Auctions.

And our first item is a BRAND NEW 1-TON MINI SPLIT. ❄️😂

So if you’ve got a garage, shop, cabin, kennel, tiny house, or literally anywhere in Tennessee where you are currently melting… this one’s for you. 😂

We’re going to start the bidding at $250, and you guys can battle it out from there. 👀

The best part? Whoever wins gets something pretty awesome, and the money goes right back into what we’re doing—especially helping cover the training costs for our service dogs.

I actually LOVE this way of doing things because we don’t just want people to feel like they’re donating money and never seeing where it goes.

We want you guys involved.

We want you watching these dogs grow, cheering them on, winning cool stuff, wearing the Guardian gear, and feeling like you’re actually part of this crazy little family we’re building.

So… who wants a mini split? 😂

Let’s see how high we can get this thing! 🐾❤️

Link to auction in comments!!

08/08/2026

Guardian Journal | Apparently, 6:45 Isn’t Quitting Time 😂

Yesterday I really thought Josh was finally going to call it a day.

It was 6:45. The dogs had eaten, everyone was settled in their kennels, staff was gone, and it was still daylight.

So naturally, I get a phone call:

“Yeah, it’s 6:45, so I’m gonna get something to eat and then go do some training.” 😂

This man seriously does not know how to stop.

He ate, grabbed one of the dogs, and drove all the way to Memphis to Lowe’s just to give that dog a new experience and get some training in.

And honestly, I love that about him.

He just doesn’t want to waste the day.

If there’s still time, there’s still something that can be done.

And I think that mindset is a huge part of why Loyal Guardian Foundation keeps moving.

This week has been FULL.

Purpose for Paws has nine dogs right now. The service dogs are making some really good progress. The trucks are finally back up and running, and the trailers are getting closer to being ready to transport dogs.

D2C is coming along too. We still have flooring, four more guillotine doors, a deck, and about a million little things on the list 😂 but it’s coming together.

And Guardian’s Grove? The Guardian House is getting its subfloor in, which means we’re getting closer to actually framing the inside and turning this thing into a home. ❤️

And we’ve got some FUN stuff coming.

We’re working on shirts/jerseys featuring our service dogs, with their names and pictures, to help raise money for their training.

We’re also putting together some really cool raffles. 👀

Josh doesn’t just want people to donate and feel like that’s the end of it. He wants people to feel like they’re part of what we’re building.

A Pack.

A community.

Something people can actually be excited to be part of.

So yeah… there are a lot of little things happening right now.

And maybe they don’t look huge from the outside.

But when I look at everything happening around us, I can’t help but think…

We’re really doing this. 🥹❤️

And apparently, if there’s still sunlight at 6:45…

somebody better go find my man because he’s probably still working. 😂🐾

08/02/2026

Guardian Journal | Choose the Opposite

This week has been heavy.

I’ve been back home in Texas, so I haven’t been with Josh every minute. But I don’t have to be.

I can hear it in his voice at the end of the day.

Ten dogs in training.

Veterans waiting on service dogs.

Guardian’s Grove.

The Guardian House.

A truck breaking down.

Problem after problem.

Then today, he had our Tractor Supply event.

If you know Josh, you know crowds aren’t really his thing. He’d much rather be training a dog or building something than standing in front of a crowd.

Before the event, I sent him a text:

“I know you’re going to crush today. I’m so proud of you. Just be yourself, and people will naturally gravitate toward you and the mission.”

Later he told me those words stayed with him all day.

It made me realize something.

Sometimes we think we have to fix someone’s problems to help them.

But sometimes, all they need is one person who believes in them before they can believe in themselves.

Watching Josh this week reminded me of something else.

When life gets heavy, he doesn’t stop moving.

He trains a dog.

He helps a veteran.

He builds a house.

He serves someone else.

He always says, “If you don’t like the direction your mind is going, give it a different direction to walk.”

I think that’s the heart of Loyal Guardian Foundation.

Yes, we train dogs.

Yes, we pair service dogs with veterans.

Yes, we’re building Guardian’s Grove.

But more than anything, we’re trying to give people hope.

Maybe that’s one of the ways God works.

Not always by removing the hard days…

But by placing the right people, the right words, and the right purpose in our path at exactly the right time.

So if this week has been hard, don’t quit.

Take the next step.

Encourage someone.

Serve someone.

Sometimes helping someone else is exactly what helps us keep going.

❤️ Saving one person, one rescue at a time.

P.S. If you happen to see Josh this week… can somebody keep an eye on my man for me? 😂 If he’s around dogs, veterans, or a building project, there’s about a 99% chance he’s forgotten to eat. ❤️

07/27/2026

Guardian Journal | The Moment They Meet

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to watching this moment.

Today, Bo met his person for the first time.

There’s something about watching a veteran meet their service dog for the first time that gets me every time. There’s always that little bit of nervousness beforehand.

Did we get this right?

Did we really understand this person? Did we listen closely enough? Did we find the right dog?

Because you can train a dog. You can teach commands, tasks, and obedience.

But matching a dog to a person? That’s something different.

You have to see the person underneath the walls. The fear. The anger. The things they don’t always say out loud.

And somehow, you have to see the dog underneath all of that too.

I think that’s one of the gifts God has given Josh.

He just… sees them.

He sees the person underneath the pain, and he sees the dog underneath the behavior. Somehow, he seems to know what they need from each other.

So today, when I watched Bo and his person meet for the first time, I couldn’t help but smile.

Because sometimes you just know.

You can see it in the way they look at each other.

There’s this little moment where everything slows down, and you think…

Oh.

This might be it.

Bo still has a lot ahead of him. He has heartworms that we’re going to get treated, and plenty of training before he’s ready. But today was just about the beginning.

A dog meeting his person.

A person meeting the dog who might one day change his life.

And maybe that’s why I love what we do.

Because in the middle of all the hard days, you get a moment like this.

And you remember why you keep going.

If you’d like to help support Bo’s heartworm treatment or his service dog training, we’d be incredibly grateful.

Today we didn’t just watch a dog meet a veteran.

We watched the beginning of a partnership.

Maybe even the beginning of two lives becoming a little better together.

Saving one person, one rescue at a time. ❤️

07/24/2026

Guardian Journal | Come Say Hi

So, I have some exciting news.

On August 1st, Tractor Supply in Bartlett, Tennessee, invited us out for their grand opening, and Josh will be there with the trailer.

Now, before anyone gets too excited… the trailer isn’t completely finished yet. 😂 The wrap isn’t even updated, but honestly, that’s okay. We’re still building everything one piece at a time around here.

And that’s kind of what I love about this.

Josh will be out there all day, and if you know him, you know he’ll probably talk to just about anybody who walks up.

If you have questions about your dog…

If you’re struggling with training…

If your dog is driving you absolutely crazy and you don’t know what to do…

If you want to know more about service dogs, Guardian’s Grove, the Guardian Path, or anything else we’re working on…

Ask him.

Seriously.

Or maybe you don’t have a question at all.

Maybe you just want to come meet the dogs, talk for a few minutes, or just have somebody listen.

Come find us.

I know sometimes people see what we’re doing and think they have to have some big reason to get involved. You don’t.

You can just show up.

That’s one of the things I’ve learned about Josh. He doesn’t really care if you’re there because you need help, you’re curious, you want to help, or you just want to say hello.

He’ll talk to you either way.

So, if you’re in Bartlett on August 1st, come hang out with us.

We’ll have the trailer.

We’ll have some dogs.

Josh will probably be talking way too much.

And I’ll probably be somewhere nearby trying to keep up with him. 😂

Hope to see some of you there. ❤️

📍 Tractor Supply — Bartlett, Tennessee
📅 August 1st 10:00-4pm

Come say hi.

Thank you to Jason Doty for repping us and helping make this happen!! New shirts coming soon.

Loyal Guardian Foundation

08/25/2026

08/21/2026

08/17/2026

08/11/2026

08/08/2026

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