Join us on Wednesday, 9/26, at 4pm ET/ 1pm PT for a panel with three of our service dog partner organizations! Joining us will be Service Dog Project, K9s for Warriors, and Warrior Canine Connection to take a deeper look into what it takes to run a non-profit service dog organization and to address common misconceptions about their programs.
You can watch the panel here when we go live!
Get to know our panel experts below:
Founder and Executive Director, Carlene White, founded Service Dog Project in 2003 after she recognized a need for mobility assistance dogs. Service Dog Project, located in Massachusetts, became ADI accredited in 2008 and has placed over 150 service dogs to people diagnosed with MS, Parkinson’s, war veterans, and others with mobility disabilities. Carlene White has an extensive background in veterinary science and in 2013 was awarded a Massachusetts Veterinary Association Award for her life’s dedication to providing service animals.
Shari Duval and Brett Simon founded K9s for Warriors in 2011 after they both recognized the lack of support for veterans returning back to civilian life. Shari first started noticing PTSD symptoms in her son, Brett, who at the time was a K9 police bomb dog handler who had previously served in Iraq. As an active volunteer for veteran’s charities, Shari knew that there were limited to no resources for veterans who suffered from PTSD. Shari stepped in and began actively working with rescue dogs and veterans to give them both a new leash on life.
As a trained police officer and K9 handler, Brett implemented his knowledge from years of service to help provide curriculum and practices to ensure that every dog is successful in their service. Brett also developed programs for veterans to become active in their recoveries, providing invaluable support to help warriors develop hands on skills during training sessions.
Molly Morelli, Director of Dog Programs at Warrior Canine Connection, has been involved with service dog training for over a decade. Molly received her B.S. in Behavioral Psychology at West Virginia University where she later moved her expertise to purpose breeding service organizations. Warrior Canine Connection has been an instrumental organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) model to help veterans reconnect back to civilian life.
