K9s For Warriors

This place is amazing! Their program is very well put together, great attention to detail and extremely veteran friendly. If you’re an American military veteran and think you would do well with a service dog. Please apply and get on the waiting list. There is an enormous amount of resources available for you and these people will help you on your journey to better mental health. Highly recommended and thank you all for your service. 🇺🇸

I became aware of K9's for Warriors several years ago. After researching the organization and the work that they do, I decided to support the organization. The K9's trains dogs to work with veterans in need of support, PTSD being a big reason for needing help. The organization now has several facilities for different functions. The main facility is in Ponte Vedra, Florida. As we were in Jacksonville, we scheduled a tour of the facility. We saw how the trainers work with the dogs, many of whom are rescued dogs, the kennels for the dogs and some of the facilities for the veterans also being trained on how to use the dogs to their best advantage. Elizabeth Reeger was our tour guide. She is an enthusiastic, dedicated supporter of the program and very knowledgeable about the details. After learning more about the program and what it has accomplished, we left knowing that this organization is doing a great job to help veterans. The organization is expanding rapidly, now with about 110 employees, and working to expand their ability to work with more veterans and train more of the dogs for this service. It is an outstanding group of people helping former military personnel returning to the States and having problems adjusting to civilian life after having served in stressful conflicts around the world.

We visited this facility during a rare event that's open to the public. We had a chance to tour the facility where warriors meet their dogs for the first time and reside while getting acquainted with each other. We heard a heart warming story from a vet where he spoke of his war related issues and how his dog has helped him cope with his everyday living. You can't help but support this program after you become aware of the marvelous outcomes for both the dogs and their new owners.

First; you have to fill out a few hours worth of application documents, and they want contact information from your employer (a big no no). Then..they send you a bunch more hoops to jump through. They won't take your VA PTSD determination; they need you to fill out new forms from your doctor AND your mental health provider. On top of that; you have to go to their in-patient facility for 21 days (3 weeks) worth of training. I didn't even get that much time off for having kids, and i don't know anyone who is employed who can expect to take off for 3 weeks for a DOG and expect to have a job when they come back. So this program doesn't work well for working veterans, which is most of us. They will not give you a dog unless you go spend three weeks there; its non-negotiable. Don't even BOTHER, you are better off going out and buying your own dog and training it yourself. Enjoy the tax exempt status and thanks for nothing, from an Iraq vet, US Army Infantry.

I have been a volunteer at K9’s for Warriors in several capacities for the last 6 years and have had the opportunity to witness the growth of this wonderful organization. They have helped hundreds of Veterans and have saved equal numbers of shelter dogs. I have loved having the opportunity to be a part of this caring organization and highly recommend it to anyone who needs their help or who would like to help in a volunteer capacity.