When Casey was medically retired from the Air Force after 11 years of service, she found the transition to civilian life incredibly difficult. Her PTSD worsened over the years, leading to agoraphobia that severely affected her relationships with her friends and family. Isolated and embarrassed, Casey looked into acquiring a service dog to help with her condition but couldn’t afford the hefty price tag. In November 2023, a social media post about a local nonprofit called Healing Paws for Warriors changed everything.
Founded by a group of Fort Walton Beach residents motivated to reduce veteran suicide, Healing Paws for Warriors matches veterans with service dogs at no cost to the service member. The organization takes their life-saving mission one step further by sourcing their service dogs from local shelters and training them to match the specific needs of veterans living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and/or Military Sexual Trauma (MST). By training rescue dogs to support and empower veterans, Healing Paws for Warriors effectively saves two lives in the process.
Encouraged by Healing Paws for Warriors’ mission, Casey completed the lengthy application process and was accepted into the program. She soon began training with her so-called Battle Buddy, a medium-sized dog with kind eyes named Falcon. Healing Paws for Warriors involves the veterans in the training of their service dogs, allowing them the opportunity to be part of the solution to their recovery. During the service canine’s training, Healing Paws for Warriors provides instruction, certification, equipment, seminars, and initial veterinarian care at no cost to the veteran. Each class of Battle Buddies completes an intensive training program that involves visiting a range of locations, from the Cordova Mall to Northwest Florida State College, to practice tasks together and grow comfortable in public spaces.
Casey’s confidence increased significantly during the training program and Falcon quickly became her trusted support system. Since graduating, Casey feels that she has her freedom back. With Falcon by her side, she is able to run errands and be a fully-engaged parent again. She credits Falcon and Healing Paws for Warriors with saving her life.
Since its founding in 2015, Healing Paws for Warriors has graduated more than 69 pairs of Battle Buddies like Casey and Falcon. That’s over 138 lives saved. The organization provides a welcoming family for their Battle Buddies long after graduation. Alumni like Casey return frequently to mentor new trainees and participate in programming throughout the year.
Healing Paws for Warriors accomplishes all of this with a small core staff and a generous team of volunteers. They rely on donations, fundraisers, and grants to support the cost of training and caring for their canine Battle Buddies. Executive Director Chief Master Sergeant (ret) Dennis Krebs hopes to continue growing the program by serving as many veterans as possible. He urges the community to help spread the word and encourage veterans to take the important step of asking for help and applying to the program. Casey’s story shows that something as small as a social media share can inspire the next veteran to meet their Battle Buddy.
"Healing Paws for Warriors taught me to use Falcon as a barrier between myself and others. He literally watches my back. His eyes track me. I am his person."