General William Tecumseh Sherman once said, “War is hell.” For veteran Michael Connors, the hellish part extends far beyond the war itself. Acclimating back to society after seeing, hearing, and smelling the horrors of war causes trauma that cannot be undone.
When he was injured overseas, Michael recovered at Walter Reed. A dog program within the hospital changed his trajectory when a girl kept asking him to pet the service dog she managed.
“She came in and said, ‘I’m not leaving until you touch the dog,’” he explains. “I was like, fine. You happy now? She said yep, and she left, and that was the first night in 45 days that I slept more than two hours. I woke up the next day and I said, ‘Someone go find me the girl with the dog.’”
After that, Michael worked with dogs through an occupational therapy program for veterans, teaching service dogs in training basic commands. There he would find Megan, the dog who would save his life when he was at his lowest.
“She was a yellow lab,” Michael explains. “I brought her to my room. I spent a couple of hours with her, and then I finally just hit that point where I was like, all right, I’m done…the dog actually climbed on the bed onto me…and I just crumbled into the dog.”
He goes on, “That dog is the only reason that any of this exists. It’s the only reason I’m still on this planet.”
Michael realized that dogs have a sense of helping, and other veterans needed that too. One veteran suicide is too many, and he started the ConnorsK9-P.A.W.S. non-profit to help veterans get their lives back. Over the last four years, he has helped 47 veterans by training service dogs that have become saviors for veterans.
The ConnorsK9-P.A.W.S.’ mission is simple: save as many veterans as possible. They achieve this by identifying veterans through an intensive application process, which includes background checks, letters of recommendation, and a physician’s sign-off. Any veteran who has been either honorably, generally, or medically retired or discharged is eligible for the program. Once all that is done, there is an interview, and if approved, Michael finds a dog under two years old through local rescues to begin training with the veteran.
“From that point, we move forward into how is this going to work for you?” Michael says. “Veterans will have two private trainings with me every month, and will have one group training with us every month.”
He continues, “The group training is designed to get veterans around other veterans who are also in the same process. If I hand you a dog and it’s brand new, you’re gonna get frustrated. If I hand you a dog and it’s brand new and you’re frustrated, but I put you with other veterans who literally just went through it, they bounce things off each other and they build the camaraderie back.”
The service dog accompanies the veteran everywhere, ensuring they can handle any situation, while prioritizing the veteran's care at all times. The training typically takes 12-18 months, and the process costs approximately $25,000 per dog, which includes training, veterinary visits, food, and other expenses.
There are plenty of veterans who need help, but financing the dogs that can support them is crucial.
“If we have a $100,000 a year budget and I’m about to graduate eight dogs, and if we did recreation therapy, we’re at $202,000,” Michael explains. “That gap right now is all coming from me. My business [Connors K9 Training] is funding the non-profit.”
Monetary donations are the most effective way to support ConnorsK9-PA.W.S. Supporting local events is a close second.
“When these veterans who have spent all this time going through trauma in the military and then come to these events where it’s about them recovering and getting the dogs, having the community support is monumental,” Michael explains.
“105 West Brewing Company has been a massive supporter of P.A.W.S.,” he continues. “Every May, we are their charity of the month, and they donate all tips left to P.A.W.S. at the end of the month.”
This month, P.A.W.S. will honor eight dogs who have graduated from the program at a black-tie event for veterans and their partners.
“So the first four, who get to come in, will be the graduates from last year who just graduated and show they’re still working and supporting. Then the eight from this year will come in one at a time and go up on stage to get their graduation diplomas,” Michael relays proudly. “We’re doing it in a past, present, future mindset of a graduation.”
With donations, community support, and sponsors, the future of ConnorsK9-P.A.W.S. looks brighter than ever, with the primary goal always at the forefront: saving veterans through the healing power of a dog.
The ConnorsK9-P.A.W.S.’ mission is simple: save as many veterans as possible. They achieve this by identifying veterans through an intensive application process, which includes background checks, letters of recommendation, and a physician’s sign-off. Any veteran who has been either honorably, generally, or medically retired or discharged is eligible for the program.
“That dog is the only reason that any of this exists. It’s the only reason I’m still on this planet.” - Michael Connors