A Night 15 Years in the Making: Retrieving Freedom's 15th Anniversary Graduation and Gala
Updated: 3 days ago
On October 24, our Retrieving Freedom family gathered at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa to celebrate 15 years of changing lives through the training and placement of Service Dogs. What began with a single idea in 2011 has grown into a mission that has placed nearly 200 Service Dogs with Veterans with disabilities and children with autism across the country.
The day was a culmination. Fifteen years of hard work. Fifteen years of people saying yes to something bigger than themselves. And fifteen years of lives changed because of it.
A Morning of Celebration
The Graduation ceremony began with Troop 69 presenting the colors and leading the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment that set the tone for everything that followed. Reverence. Gratitude. Pride.
Kyle welcomed the room with a reminder of how far Retrieving Freedom has come. "This year alone, we have already made 16 placements and counting. We are blessed to be nearing 200 placements as an organization since our inception. These dogs have made a meaningful impact, not only here with our local families and Veterans, but all throughout the United States."
Director of Training Katie Ruiz then led the ceremony that recognized the people who make every placement possible.
Honoring the Links in the Chain
The Volunteers Who Fly the Puppies Home
Katie introduced Tim and Connie Wing, who have spent the last two years transporting puppies across the country to bring them home to Retrieving Freedom. Tim brings a 45-year career in canine law enforcement to his role as a volunteer, and together with Connie, the Wings have become one of the most reliable links in the chain of our Service Dog journey.
"Transporting the puppies means we are just one link in a big mission of the process," Connie shared. "These puppies have never been outside their kennel area. We get to take them to the airport. We get to see them take their first steps outside. It is amazing how, you know, they are excited. People ask if they can pet them, and we say yes, because they are still in training."
Tim closed with the message he shares at every airport: "There are nonprofit organizations that need donations. They need volunteers. They need puppy transporters. They need puppy raisers. There is always a way to get involved."
Our Impact Programs
The road to placement runs through our Impact Programs. Students, inmate handlers, and dedicated volunteers across the country shape our dogs before they ever meet their final partner.
We recognized representatives from the Iowa Medical and Classification Center, the University of Missouri Army ROTC, Wartburg College, Putnamville Correctional Facility, Boonville Correctional Center, and Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. On top of full course loads, college students volunteer their time to socialize, expose, teach, and learn what it takes to raise a potential Service Dog. The inmate handlers at our correctional facilities progress the dogs' learning even further, beginning exposure to advanced skills while shoring up their basic obedience.
Our Breeding and Whelping Hosts
Some adult dogs are pulled from the path of becoming a Service Dog toward an equally important purpose. Our breeding dogs help continue Retrieving Freedom's ability to serve Veterans and children with autism. Our breeding hosts house our females while they wait to be bred, maintaining their skills and keeping them healthy. Our whelping homes house pregnant females, supporting them through birth and giving each new puppy a loving foundation for their first eight weeks.
We recognized the people and dogs who made the next generation of Service Dogs possible: Rose Two (housed by the Vogt family, whelped by Bobbi Lutz), Riley (fostered by Maddie Burke), Greta (currently fostered by Karma Fisher), Maple (fostered by Alyssa Forsyth), Bonnie (housed by Todd Ahrens, whelped by the Dahlquist family and Julie Gaines), Raelyn (breeder fostered and whelped by Bobbi), Leica (fostered by Carolyn Nash and again by Bobbi), and Sabo (currently fostered by Jessa Thorne).
Our Autism Program Graduates
Each Service Dog placement represents years of patience, training, learning, hope, and hard work. Our Autism Program graduates and their foster raisers were recognized for closing that loop.
In honor of the Autism Program teams:
Colton, supported by Paul and Misty, with Service Dog Hope IV (raised by Brian and Ginger Dick)
Tucker, supported by Steven and Katherine, with Service Dog Cider (raised by Jessica Sass and Lynn Bagby)
Harry, supported by Shannon, with Service Dog Maggie (raised by Ashlyn Dolan)
Joey, supported by Paul and Nicole, with Service Dog Lennox (raised by Jessa Buchoven)
Chloe, supported by Michael and Ingrid, with Service Dog Berkeley (raised by Sarah and Ricky Nolan)
Supported by Reed and Jennifer, with Service Dog Kenai (raised by Rhiannon McCully)
Deacon, supported by Dave and Lauren, with Service Dog Luigi (raised by Colby Fanger)
Alina, supported by Deborah and Eugene, with Service Dog Zuma (raised by Rhiannon McCully)
Lexi, supported by Kin, with Service Dog Holland (raised by Josie McCone)
Three Autism Program teams joined us on stage: Nora and Porter (raised by Bethany Christians), Roman and Kita (raised by Carly Hughes), and Hannah and Chai (raised by Kathy Hillier).
Kay, mother of our youngest graduate Hannah, spoke for the class. She shared the full name of their new partner, Chai Cupcake PuppyDog Girl, and then shared what the placement has meant for her family.
"I feel like personally for me, this program has literally given me back my freedom. It has given Hannah a best friend and a snuggle buddy every night. Someone that can read her, who knows when she is upset and when she is happy. Being able to go out into the world, into stores and grocery stores, and not have to constantly worry about where Hannah is, I can actually price-match and know what is the best deal instead of just grabbing the quickest thing. That, among a million other things, has changed our lives."
Our Veteran Program Graduates
We also recognized our Veteran Program graduates and their foster raisers:
Eric and Service Dog Buffy (raised by April Leely)
Corey and Service Dog Opal (raised by Tracy Gilchrist)
Rex and Service Dog Lenny (raised by Tricia Sullivan)
Vern and Service Dog Niko (raised by Liz West)
Broxton and Service Dog Elton II (raised by Zach Goodall)
Jay and Service Dog Trix (raised by Mindy Fisher)
Service Dog Leo the Third (raised by Jared and Tabitha Cunningham)
Service Dog Lily (raised by Sally Johnson)
Service Dog Lola (raised by Jacina Minger)
Service Dog Xander (raised by Ashlyn Dolan)
Nicole and Service Dog Vinny (raised by Bella Afflam)
Matthew and Service Dog Hansen (raised by Emily Chadwick)
Justin and Service Dog Barley (raised by Susan Kopman)
Justin Abernathy, a 13-year Army Veteran and successor dog client, took the microphone as class speaker and offered the room a story of transformation, honesty, and gratitude.
"In 2014, I was pretty badly down. I was at the point of giving up. I did have one attempt on myself. Thank God that was the only time that firearm had ever had a light primer strike or a misfire, with thousands of rounds through it. Thank the good Lord above for that. After that, I started seeking help. A guy at work said, 'Do you know about this organization in Waverly?'
That night, I called. It was eight o'clock at night, and Scott actually answered the phone."
Justin shared his journey through his first Service Dog, Scout, who lived to be just over 13, and now his successor dog, Barley. "I was not the person I am today. I would never have been able to get up and talk to anybody. Between Retrieving Freedom and the dogs, it has really changed my life."
CEO Brandon Butler closed the morning with reflections on the staff, the volunteers, the Board, and the entire community of Waverly that has supported Retrieving Freedom from the very beginning. "We celebrate Retrieving Freedom. We celebrate everyone in that supply chain. We express our gratitude to all involved. And we hope this organization goes on for a long, long time, and countless lives are changed."
An Evening of Gratitude
That evening, the celebration continued at Wartburg College for our 15th Anniversary Gala. The room was filled with breeders, puppy fosters, supporters, donors, staff, and most importantly, our clients. Every link in the chain.
A Message From Our Founder
Brandon welcomed founder Scott Dewey to the stage to share the origin story of Retrieving Freedom. Scott recalled the 2011 trip to ECAD, Educated Canines for Assisting Disabilities, in New York, where he and his mother first encountered the idea of training dogs for Veterans with PTSD.
"Everybody said, 'Well, that will not work. That is really not a Service Dog.' It was really early in the stages, but we knew ECAD was talking about it. We went out there, met with the staff, and we left with this idea of trying to incorporate not only the abilities of a dog to directly help with a disability, but also to get guys back out again. The whole idea was, in reality, if we can start integrating back into society after being on a deployment, that was as important as what the dog could do for the disability."
Scott reflected on the moment he saw foster raisers listed next to their recipients' names in the Graduation program. "I think there is so much importance in that for somebody who put time, hours, effort, and energy into raising this little puppy, and now they are literally listed right next to the person's name that is getting the dog. Those people could have relationships for years because of that. That is the vision we had in the beginning."
Why Brandon Said Yes
Brandon shared what brought him to Retrieving Freedom three years ago, and the moment that changed everything.
"The Hayden family down in Missouri is really our largest financial supporter, and they said, 'Would you be interested in coming and running this Service Dog organization?' I said, 'No. I have been down that road. I have done fundraising. That is just not the direction I am trying to take my career.'"
But they asked him to come see the facility. And at the facility, he met a Vietnam Veteran named Ivan, and Ivan's wife Mary Jo.
"When I met Mary Jo, and she explained to me what her life was like as the caregiver to her husband of forty-three years, and the fact that she could not schedule anything in her life on a routine, because if she did that, she would be giving Ivan an opportunity to schedule his suicide. She said that prior to their dog coming into their lives, she could not trust leaving him alone on a schedule. But once they got Arby, that is their dog's name, she knew that was over. He would never leave that dog. Even though he may have felt like a burden to her and a burden to the other loved ones in his life, he knew that dog relied on him. And now Mary Jo can join her book club. She can join her church groups and live a full and free life. To learn that there are people in the world that care that much about other people, I said, 'Yeah, I think I will do this.'"
Class Speakers That Brought the Room Together
The evening included moving words from class speakers Kevin and Terry Reams, both Veterans, both Service Dog recipients, and both advocates for what this mission makes possible.
The night's closing speakers, Ricky and Sarah Nolan, are puppy fosters currently working with their sixth puppy and 13 dogs in total over five years. Ricky teaches fifth grade. Sarah teaches kindergarten. Together, they have brought Service Dogs in Training into their classrooms and into their students' lives in a way that has transformed what fostering can mean for a whole community.
"What began as an opportunity to volunteer has grown into something so much bigger. It has become a part of who we are. A way to give back, to teach kindness, to serve others, and to be part of a mission that changes lives in ways we could have never imagined."
Sarah described how their classrooms have become communities built around the dogs. "Students, staff, parents, and families ask how the dogs are doing. The dogs get their own staff badges. Students look forward to getting their trading cards each year. Pictures are hung up on fridges and in bedrooms. Even after students move on, they remember their Service Dog in Training. They stop us in the hallways. They come back to visit. These questions may seem small, but to us, they mean everything."
She spoke about the hardest question they get asked. "How do you give them back? Honestly, that is the hardest part. We wish we could tell you it gets easier, but for us, it never really does. We cry at every turn in. We cry for weeks afterward. We love each of these dogs with our whole hearts. But over time, we have learned that fostering is about loving deeply, and understanding that the love we give is meant to carry them someplace else."
Ricky and Sarah closed by naming all 13 dogs who have passed through their home: Mercy, Phoebe, Berkeley, Riley, Leica, Kai, Bonnie, Friedl, Ida, Lingo, Jet, Kita, and Teeny.
"You have left paw prints on our hearts. We are so proud of each of you and the journeys you have taken. No matter where life leads you or whose life you go on to change, you will always be part of our story. Keep being amazing, and we will keep cheering you on."
Thank You
To every graduate, every foster raiser, every staff member, every donor, every volunteer, and every supporter who celebrated with us on October 24: thank you. Fifteen years in, we are only just getting started.
If you were moved by the stories shared on this night, consider becoming part of the next 15 years.
Learn about the Business Alliance Program: https://www.retrievingfreedom.org/business-alliance
Become a Puppy Raiser: https://www.retrievingfreedom.org/puppy-raiser
Make a gift: https://www.retrievingfreedom.org/donate
Comments