Salute to Heroes Gala 2024 – An Evening Celebrating 1,000 Warriors & Service Dogs Friday, March 1, 2024 Events 2 min read As the sun went down at Sawgrass Country Club, K9s For Warriors supporters, donors, and Veterans started arriving for this year’s Salute to Heroes Gala – a night dedicated to celebrating K9s For Warriors biggest milestone yet, pairing its 1,000th Warrior with a life-saving Service Dog in March and those that made it all possible. With 20 Veterans and their Service Dogs in attendance, representing each year K9s has been pairing Service Dogs with Vetera ..read more

K9s For Warriors Hosts Third Annual Clay Shoot Wednesday, April 5, 2023 Warrior/K9 Program 1 min read March 30, 2023 – K9s For Warriors marked our 12-year anniversary by hosting the third annual K9s For Warriors Clay Shoot. Thank you to all participants and sponsors who helped support our mission to end veteran suicide and honor those who serve and have served our country. This unique event was sponsored by 99.1 WQIK and 107.3 Planet radio and a was great opportunity for businesses and individuals to come together and create lasting memories while supporting a worthy cause. Eac ..read more

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine students and faculty made a special visit to our national headquarters in 2023 to kickstart an especially unique “paw”tnership. The group traveled 75 miles from the Gainesville-based campus to volunteer their time and skills and perform examinations on future K9s For Warriors Service Dogs. During their first visit, the UF College of Veterinary Medicine team completed ophthalmology and cardiology exams on roughly 120 dogs, providing vital hands-on experience for these future veterinarians.  For UF master’s and resident student Co ..read more

In April 2022 our first San Antonio, TX class graduated and since then we have rescued and re-homed over 200 dogs in Texas alone and graduated 59 Warriors from our Petco Love K9 Center. This has all been made possible because of this partnership with Petco Love that started in 2019 with a generous $2M grant that allowed us to expand our operations to Texas.  We checked in on Warrior Sam and Service Dog Jax and asked how life has changed since graduating from our Texas campus in 2022.   How has life been since graduating? I have to say that since graduating, my life has im ..read more

Petco Love has been instrumental in helping K9s For Warriors save Veterans and rescue dogs. Our partnership started in 2019 with a generous $2M Petco Love grant that allowed us to expand our operations to the Lone Star state. In late 2021, we opened the Petco Love K9s Center in San Antonio.  It’s home to our Texas dog rescue and training program as well as our monthly Texas Warrior graduation ceremony. Since the opening of Petco Love K9 Center we have:  Paired 54 Veterans with Service Dogs in San Antonio, TX Rescued and rehomed over 200 dogs One of our first Texas Warrior ..read more

Previous Next Thank you to all of our supporters who came out for our 3rd Annual Golf tournament. This would not have been possible without you and the generous support of Sawgrass Country Club. Because of your support, we are helping ensure Veterans who fought for our freedoms get the support they need to live with dignity and independence. Your support goes a long way to help us in our mission to end the epidemic of Veteran suicide.  Together you raised more than:   $ 0 Your contributions help in multiple ways to save countless Veterans and rescue dogs ..read more

When we think of wounds, we often envision physical injuries—especially when it involves veterans. But there is an invisible wound that affects millions of people worldwide: post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a complex, debilitating mental health condition that develops after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. PTSD can look different in everyone. For Warriors Quinton, Joe, and Ashley, this rings true. Quinton, Marine Veteran Joe, Navy Veteran Ashley, Air Force Veteran Isolation and avoidance became the new normal upon returning home from deployment for U.S. Ma ..read more

Shari Duval: Mom to Many Saturday, May 13, 2023 Warrior/K9 Program 2 min read Warriors and staff alike still lovingly remember Shari as "Mom." The story of K9s For Warriors is not only a story of second chances, for both veterans and rescue dogs. It is also the story of a mother’s unwavering love and determination to help her son and countless others.  Shari Duval, the late founder of K9s For Warriors, was a guiding light for many. She was led by both her motherly love and her drive to save lives.  Duval’s journey began when her son, Brett Simon, returned from Iraq ..read more

K9s For Warriors hosts Salute to Heroes 2023 Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Warrior/K9 Program 3 min read February 24, 2023 | Ponte Vedra, FL – The TPC Clubhouse came to life as the K9s team hustled to create a memorable night at the first-ever Salute to Heroes – K9s For Warriors Gala in Florida that raised over $260,000. With seven of our Warrior/K9 graduate teams in the room with us, it was truly an evening filled with emotional testimony and significant generosity from our donors. The room was captivated by the story of graduates Joe & Eagle, Denis & CJ featuring ..read more

Deep, caramel eyes peer up distrustfully from behind the gate of his enclosure. Unsure of his new visitors. Barks, high and low, echo off the walls of Lake City Humane Society — bouncing back and forth like ping pong balls. His brown ears twitch this way and that, white-patched snoot sniffing the air. Weeks ago, he’d been stretched out on a sofa, sneaking stray pieces of popcorn off the floor. How had he ended up here? The two visitors approach carefully, but with a bit of excitement in their step. They’d been on the road all day with no luck, and finally — a shimmer of hope at the en ..read more