Fire Team K9 has a brand-new location, and owners Jeff and Jennifer Hinch are settling in as they continue to provide one of the most unique and important services available to PTSD sufferers almost anywhere.
Fire Team K9 Service Dogs, a non-profit organization, pairs veterans and first responders with specially trained service and facility dogs to help manage operational stress injuries.
Modeled on the military concept of a “fire team,” the smallest unit of two soldiers relying on one another, the dogs act as partners in civilian life. Having a canine companion provides veterans with increased confidence and security, supporting their transition from military service.
Now located on Baron Canyon Road after five years on Boundary Road, the new facility is a warm, country-style home that feels inviting the moment you walk in and is perfectly suited to what the organization needs to accomplish. Jennifer explains the basic concept behind the service:
Kat Forder is the manager of the Facility Dog Program, and her multifaceted role includes matching the right dog with the right client:
One of the most fascinating aspects of the matching process is that the dog itself has a “say” in who it is paired with, based on its abilities and the types of activities it prefers. In other words, it is not a one-size-fits-all proposition by any means. It is a carefully determined partnership in which each participant supports the other:
Facility dogs, which are trained to interact with the community at large, are generally more extensively trained than service dogs, which focus on one partner and his or her specific needs.
The average amount of time required to fully train a dog is approximately two years, says Forder. During that time, it is possible a dog may decide it simply wants to be a pet. On the other end of the spectrum, a dog may demonstrate the aptitude to become an expert service or facility animal.
Jennifer says they can identify the right candidates from a litter early on:
Pedigree is especially important to the process, says Forder who explains that animals are considered for breeding well before the process even begins:
Jeff is a retired veteran who completed four tours of duty, serving once in Bosnia and three times in Afghanistan. There came a point when he “just didn’t feel right,” as he puts it. After leaving the military, a cycle of behaviour began that he knew was not healthy. It was through a friend who had a canine companion that Jeff first realized this was what he needed to help pull himself back to the life he wanted with his wife, family, and community:
The organization receives strong support from the Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion and Wounded Warriors Canada. Wounded Warriors Canada is a national mental health service provider dedicated to serving trauma-exposed organizations (TExO), trauma-exposed professionals (TExP), and their trauma-exposed families (TExF).
For more information on their programs and services, please click the link below.
(Written By: Richard Evans)
