Vets4Heroes Competitors

Determined to end Veteran suicide, K9s For Warriors is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization that provides trained Service Dogs to military Veterans nationwide suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma — at no financial cost to the Veteran. Backed by groundbreaking scientific research from the University of Arizona’s OHAIRE Lab, the program demonstrates how Service Dogs can help mitigate symptoms of PTSD while simultaneously restoring confidence and independence. Founded in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, K9s For Warriors is committed to saving lives at both ends of the leash by primarily rescuing dogs and pairing them with Veterans in need. The organization is also dedicated to raising awareness about Veterans’ mental health and driving policy-level reform. To date, K9s has paired more than 1,350 Veterans across all 50 states with life-changing Service Dogs and rescued more than 2,500 dogs.

Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) is a pioneering organization that utilizes its Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) model to support recovering combat Veterans and their families. WCC provides Warriors a regained sense of purpose through the opportunity to engage in a critical military support mission while simultaneously receiving treatment for their own symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). Based on the time-honored tradition of Warriors helping Warriors, their mission is to train highly-skilled service dogs that provide years of mobility and social support to Veterans with disabilities.

Our mission is to provide animal-assisted therapy and other mental health services to military veterans and their loved ones living with service-connected trauma. Paws and Stripes offers unique and extensive approaches that set us apart from other organizations focusing on the same or similar populations. Paws and Stripes helps New Mexico veterans reintegrate into civilian roles and develop meaningful missions and goals within their lives as veterans. Focusing on catered mental health support, therapeutic services, and service dog training, Veterans enrolled in our programs are given the opportunity to learn life skills to create increased self-awareness in their environments and provide the insight necessary to deal with everyday civilian anxieties such as finances, career challenges, caring for children and maintaining a healthy marriage. Lindsey Kay founded Paws and Stripes and has served as its Executive Director since 2010. With her personal experiences as a family member of a veteran living with a brain injury and chronic severe PTSD, Paws and Stripes was born out of an understanding firsthand of the challenges of trauma and its repercussions on Veterans and their families. The Veteran Service Dog Program’s unique model was first established to address the specific needs of veterans living with these invisible disabilities and is nationally accredited by Assistance Dogs International. Through the implementation of mental health in 2012, the organization has evolved to prioritize veteran well-being through a more holistic approach to service. To date, Paws and Stripes clinical staff have a combined 50 years of experience working with clients overcoming trauma and the organization has raised more than ten million dollars to support New Mexico Veterans.