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Episode Transcript
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff and with me today
is I have Mayor from Warrior Canine Connection and happy
to have you as your organization. This is the trifecta,
the third time I've had you on Maria's Mutts and Stuff.
So I'm very excited about that.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Awesome, I'm glad to be here absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
So Mayor tell me you are the assistant director of
Mission Based Trauma Recovery. Let's talk a little bit about
what is specifically is your job with Warrior Canine Connection.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah, so, at Warrior Canine Connection, we have kind of
a twofold mission. So not only are we placing highly
scaled assistance dogs with veterans and military family members, but
we also have an animal assistant therapeutic intervention layer where
all of our dogs receive a substantial amount of their
(01:08):
training directly from the military community. So that's what our
mission based Trauma Recovery program is. So my job is
to oversee that program delivery a variety of locations around
the US. We have out of our headquarters, we do
it out of some community based veteran service centers via
(01:30):
military installations and things like that.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Right, and your headquarters you're in Maryland?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Is that correct? Yep? Our headquarters is in Boyds, Maryland,
just about twenty or so miles north of Washington, DC.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Okay, basically by you overseeing that, so you go say, okay,
so let's say you go to a center that's not
in Maryland and then do warriors like you interview people
who come in and like warriors who come in and say,
you know, oh, I'd like to help some service dog.
How does that go?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So usually how it works out is we establish a
relationship with a location that we're going to be able
to deliver our programming at first. So that might be
you know, by getting connected with a provider something like that.
For example, we do work over at Fort Belbore in Virginia.
(02:22):
That's a US Army base. But the way we're able
to offer that programming is because we have a partnership
with the USO on Fort Belvoir that gives us an
office space and then we get referrals from the Soldier
Recovery Unit, which is a hospital kind of area on
the base for Army personnel that are experiencing you know,
(02:45):
new layers of injuries and working through those. Sure, So
we kind of set up that referral pipeline, set up
a program delivery location, and then those folks, you know,
whether they're veterans or active personnel, we'll get referred to
get part of our program. Now, they aren't required to
(03:06):
have any significant dog training experience. The goal for this
program is not so much as to find, you know,
volunteers who are professional dog trainers, rather be able to
take people from all different backgrounds and walks of life,
teach them some new skills, teach them how to deliver
(03:27):
this dog training work with the dogs, give the dogs
all those skills that they need to be good service dogs.
But we're also well we're working with those folks. We're
tying all of these dog training concepts into concepts that
are helpful for you know, our personal development as human
beings as well of patients and establishing appropriate boundaries, practicing
(03:53):
good impulse control, having the correct aspects that well really
showcase the emotion you're trying to communicate in your tone
of voice, sure, which can be something that might be
a little bit challenging, especially for someone maybe with a
recent traumatic brain injury diagnosis. You know, of course, developing
aspects can be really tough, So we're taking all of
(04:14):
this stuff that's really about dog training, but then we're
able to kind of curate it in a way that
it can also hopefully be beneficial for all of these
individuals' personal goals as well.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Sure sure, I mean, and that's why, honestly, your organization
is one of my favorites because it's so twofold, but
it's win win because it helps by the person who's training.
It helps that person with their trauma, but they're also
training a service dog for someone who, say, has physical
injuries and helps with that trauma. So it's it's kind
(04:47):
of win win for more than one person. And I
think it's very unique to you, and I that's why
you've always been, you know, one of my favorite organizations,
and I just I just think it's so like phenomenal.
You know that you do what you do and you've
helped so many people. I know you are saying, and
I would like you to explain because you know, for
the people who are listening right now, I know that
(05:07):
they've heard about Warrior Canine Connection before, but for those
who haven't, and on your website, one dog helps more
than sixty warriors. So can you explain that a little
bit for someone who doesn't know what that means.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yeah. Absolutely. So the way we're able to kind of
make that statement where one dog is going to help
sixty plus warriors is because by utilizing this animal assistic
therapeutic model, the dog has the opportunity to engage in
this mission based trauma recovery training program with dozens of
(05:41):
different veterans and active duty service members all throughout the
different stages of their training. So the dogs actually start
engaging in that mission based trauma recovery training as early
as about five or six weeks of age. We have
a layer of this program called Puppy Socialization and Enrichment.
(06:04):
That is a program where the same population in our
structured MBTR program, you know that active duty and military
family members are able to come in and start socializing
those itty bitty baby puppies to all different kinds of people.
So by starting to engage in those training sessions that young,
(06:26):
and then considering that the dogs are informal training for
about two years, they have multiple opportunities in that two
year period to work with all kinds of different folks,
and that's how we're able to reach that number where
most of these dogs are able to serve upwards of
sixty veterans by the time they graduate with the veteran
that they're going to be paired with for the rest
(06:47):
of their.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Lives, which is pretty amazing. It really is amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Great. I mean, that's what grew me to WORRY or
Canine Connection myself. I've been in the industry for about
a decade, but came to Warrior Canine Connection a little
over five years ago, specifically because of this layer of
the program where you know, not only are the dogs
just going on to serve the one person they're paired with,
but they have so many opportunities of service all throughout
(07:13):
their early days of life. Sure those two years of training.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, and you know, full disclosure on
this end. And I very often will go to your
website and I watched the puppy cam because I you know,
there's nothing like watching puppies when you're stressed out or
just just when you have some free time. And I
love the fact that you have and you've had it
for so many years, and it's so funny because recently
(07:37):
I also spoke to someone from explore dot org and
I mentioned you guys, because I'm like, I always watch
different live cabs, but Warrior CANi Connection is my favorite
go to just to see, you know, puppies sleeping and
then you can tell when somebody walks into the room
because they're all it's just phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So just a reminder that is pretty great. I love
that we have that layer of making, you know, those
feel good moments with the dogs sure pressible to everyone anywhere. Yeah,
sure I have in that live stream. It's really great.
It is.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
It is like, I'm so happy that that's continued for
all these years because I realized I've first spoke probably
with Rick back in twenty seventeen and then again in
twenty twenty. So now sorry, but five years later was
speaking again. And all of these years, I'm always checking
in on the puppy cams because they're just ugh, yeah,
it is awesome. So I was actually, I know at
one point, and tell me if you still are looking,
(08:33):
because for those who are listening in the Maryland, DC,
Virginia areas, are you still looking for Puppy Razor volunteers?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Absolutely? Yeah, that is our probably most significant need in
the volunteer capacity. Of course, we'll always accept volunteers in
other areas you know, as they come. We want everyone
to be able to engage in whatever capacity they're able to,
which they might not be able to commit to taking
(09:02):
a dog home for an extended period of time or
something like that, right, But so for our volunteer puppy parents,
generally speaking, it is a one and a half to
two year commitment. Those are folks who are received training
from us of course initially, and then they are taking
(09:22):
the dogs home at eight weeks of age and they
will house one of these service dogs in training up
until the dog is about twenty months of age. So
that's where and why it's about a commitment. Sure throughout
that period of time they will receive ongoing support from
our professional trainers at Warrior Canine Connections. So this weekly
(09:45):
Puppy Raiser classes where they can attend those either in
person or sometimes in a virtual capacity if maybe they're
a little far away from one of our locations where
we have classes, and they'll get you know, all sorts
of support with all the various training checkpoints they're supposed
to hit with the dog throughout that period of time, right,
(10:08):
We also are are in the great situation where we
can you know, provide healthcare needs for those dogs. So
all of the equipment, monthly flee and tick preventatives, vaccines, food,
anything that that dog needs throughout their training that's not
on the volunteer you know, to take on that financial obligation.
(10:28):
We do provide all of that throughout.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
No, but that's very good to know. And for those
who are listening in the area, if you could be
a puppy raiser, that would be pretty phenomenal. And I
guess they can just go to the website, correct, Warriorcanine
Connection dot org.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, absolutely, Warriorcanine Connection dot org. And then there is
a tab for how to get involved in a tab
about the puppies. We have a general volunteer application on
the website there, okay, specifically interested in that puppy raising component,
you can note that in volunteer application. Okay, But of course,
(11:02):
if someone's interested in other areas of volunteering, they are
welcome to, you know, put multiple things on there as
potential areas of interest for them.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
That's excellent, So tell me, And maybe there isn't just
one story. But in the years that you have been
with Warrior Canine Connection, do you have a favorite story
that you can share or I mean, I'm sure there's
more than one, but one in particular that might stand out.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Yeah. Absolutely so, I mean, as you can imagine, I
have dozens at this point. Yes, But you know something
that really has stuck with me pretty heavily over the years. So,
about three or four years ago, I was raising a
Warrior Canine Connection puppy. It was a puff that was
(11:49):
a little bit more insecure. So we'd go into different
public environments and he'd just need more reassurance, more guidance
because he would just wasn't wasn't quite as as we
would have hoped, right. So this pup had the awesome
chance to engage in a research program with me down
at Walter Reed. We'd go down about three days a
(12:12):
week and he'd work with a variety of different active
duty service members who were engaging in a study that
was assessing, over an extended period of time, what type
of positive physiological impacts were happening on those individuals in
their time with these dogs. So this pup was training
(12:33):
with a young woman for several weeks at this point,
and she had told me she really wanted to try
taking him on the escalators. Now I was a little
concerned about this. That wasn't something that I, as his
puppy razor and trainer, had been successful with yet. So
I kind of, you know, prefaced with her that this
(12:54):
might be something where we get close to it and
we take that as our win, and we're calling it
there and really communicating that. I wasn't confident the dog
would be successful in this, but I'll tell you that
relationship that he built with this young service member over
the weeks leading up to it, that was exactly that
boost he needed to be able to be enough to
(13:16):
tackle this difficult task today. So sure enough they walked
up to that escalator and they both just hopped right
on and went up and down about three or four times.
He was happy wagon engaged with her, and after that
he was able to do them successfully anywhere else. I
really loved that moment because that was such a great
(13:39):
opportunity to see how important that bond in relationship is,
and such a profound bond can be built in a
short period of time between these dogs and the veterans
and service members that they're working with, and it was
just so great for him and so great for her.
She was so proud to be able to have been,
you know, the person to get him over that hurdle
(14:00):
struggled with for a while, right, and really really left
her feeling as best as she could at the end
of her time training with him in that research program
because she knew she was able to accomplish so much
with them. Sure.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Sure, And I'm sure for you you were probably like
beaming because you were so proud.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Oh yeah, absolutely, it was definitely a really exciting moment
for me.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Oh I love this. I love it. And so for
listeners who you know, who are very intrigued and listening
right now, but they're not in the area and they
want to get involved, I would say probably the best
thing they can do is to donate to Warrior Canine Connection.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah. Absolutely, donating is very helpful. Of course, we are
a nonprofit, so we relied on the consistent supporters to
be able to you know, keep our funding going to
be able to provide this great service to all of
our warriors. So donations and then we also have specifically
on our website Amazon wish list, Oh yeah, or all
(14:59):
of our different program delivery location. So let's say someone
is a Philadelphia native and they really want to donate
items that are in need for our programming that we
have in Philadelphia. They can go online there and specifically
see the wish list for that site and know that
what they're donating is going to serve you know, the
(15:22):
population in that community over there.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
So that's perfect. So either way, they should just go
to Warrior Canine Connection dot org. So perfect. Mayor, thank
you so much for your time and all of your
knowledge and to keep doing what you're doing. Just know
that you are appreciated by so many people, and you
really I'm sure when you go, however, stressful because everyone's
(15:48):
job is stressful at some point, and I'm sure for you,
just know like when you go to sleep at night,
you should really feel good about all the good deed
and good work that you're doing to help others.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Well, Well, thank you very much. That means a lot.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yes, it's so very true. And for those who want
to help, maybe you can you're in the area and
you can become a volunteer puppy Razor, or you're not
in the area, but you would love to donate because
it is one of my favorite organizations. Please visit Warrior
Knine connection dot org. Thank you so much,
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