Dog lovers across the country have a holiday to celebrate. August 26th marks National Dog Day, a day to celebrate “man’s best friend.” But the organization Warriors Heart wants to remind the world that dogs can be an even better friend to first responders, military veterans and active duty service members alike.
“The day was originally founded for shelter dog awareness, and it’s sort of morphed into a day when we just celebrate the wonderful relationship between man, woman and their best friend,” Warriors Heart K9 Manager Michelle “Cash” Axmaker said in an interview with Military.com. “Every rescue that steps its paw into our kennel gets a new life, purpose, and home. In return, they provide our warriors with an unbreakable bond through their recovery. The power of healing at both ends of the leash is something you can’t replicate any other way.”
Organization Trains Shelter Dogs as Service Animals
Warriors Heart touts itself as the nation’s leading treatment facility for first responders, veterans, and active-duty service members that pairs them with rescued shelter dogs as a continued form of therapy. With campuses in Bandera, Tex., and Milford, Va., Warriors Heart offers a 42-day treatment program and provides the full continuum of care with detox, inpatient, day treatment, outpatient, sober living, one-on-one counseling, aftercare, and alumni programming.
During its 10-year history, the Warriors Heart kennel has paired more than 475 warriors with K9 companions. Ninety percent of these dogs are adults and rescued directly from local animal shelters, which gives older dogs a second chance at life.
But Axmaker said the kennel program works both ways.
“First responders, active duty military and veterans come to us struggling with addiction, or a co-occurring diagnosis like PTSD,” she said. “That’s where I come in with the dog program, where they work on their trauma and their addiction with our amazing clinical team and part of that recovery process is replacing one habit or issue with something positive.”
Some of the activities include classes teaching yoga and jiu-jitsu. There’s a woodworking program, a metal shop, an art program and horseback riding. But organizers said the most popular program involves shelter dogs that are trained to become service dogs on site.
“For veterans, we know the number 22. That’s 22 or more veterans that take their lives every single day in the United States. Sometimes just having a companion, which may be a dog, can prevent suicide from happening. It gives them a sense of purpose and routine,” Axmaker said. “They get a companion, someone to talk to, and a reason to get up out of bed in the morning.”
Warriors Heart Success Story With Man’s Best Friend
Chris Pinder, a former Denver Police narcotics detective, entered Warriors Heart in 2022 to address cumulative trauma and alcohol dependency. During his recovery, he was paired with Hood, a rescue dog in the K9 program whose companionship helped him heal. Pinder is now working as the Warriors Heart Shop Manager with Hood by his side.
“I quickly took to the kennel after entering Warriors Heart back in 2022, and I immediately found my purpose for healing and sobriety in Hood,” Pinder said. “Since the day I met her, Hood has been by my side through every step of my recovery, from the start of my treatment to my life today as a husband, father, and a survivor who is four years sober.”
National Dog Day is a big day for Warriors Heart staff, along with its participants and alumni.
“We call them man’s best friend, and they certainly are. They’ve been with humans for centuries,” Axmaker said. “I just think it’s so important that we celebrate rescue and shelter dogs because they can have training and they can be developed into life-saving animals. They can mitigate those PTSD issues and problems, and really give somebody a great outlook on life.”
For more information, visit warriorsheart.com.
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