The Dog Alliance: Transforming the Lives of Texas Veterans

4 mins read
Cheryl White training at the Dog Alliance
Cheryl White training at the Dog Alliance

By Anne DeVries

At The Dog Alliance, every day is about making a difference in the lives of Texas Veterans.

Founded by Debi Krakar in 2006, The Dog Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Cedar Park dedicated to improving lives through the therapeutic power of dogs. In addition to serving Veterans with PTSD and mobility challenges, the organization offers support to at-risk children, seniors, and the general community.

Krakar, the visionary founder, has long been devoted to the power of the human-dog connection. Since the Alliance’s start, she has fostered over 1,000 dogs, with at least one service dog in training in her care at all times. Her passion has been instrumental in creating the Dog Alliance’s Service Dog program, a specialized initiative for Veterans needing support and companionship.

Susan Windham leads the Veterans Service Dog program and brings her passion for teaching and community to the role. Since 2007, Windham has been a team member managing training sessions for Veterans who have been assigned a service dog through the program or wish to train their own dog to meet the requirements for service animals.

Training service dogs for Veterans is a specialized program that begins 2 days after the birth of a puppy, born from a work service dog breadline that can run five generations deep.  Utilizing the “puppy protocol” developed by the International Working Dog Registry, the Dog Alliance implements specific steps, including soft touching, human photographs in kennels, music, and more. The “puppy protocol” is implemented for 8-12 weeks.

The Dog Alliance utilizes volunteers who are called puppy raisers. These puppy raisers bring the puppy into their homes and work with professional service dog trainers from the Dog Alliance beginning at 8-12 weeks old. The certified trainer guides the puppy raiser through the training journey, which lasts 18 months to 2 years.

Cheryl White, a dedicated puppy raiser, is working with her fifth soon-to-be service dog. White comes from a family of Veterans. After seeing the impact her family members had experienced due to the addition of a service dog to their lives, she began volunteering at the Dog Alliance.

White shared that her involvement “is a way to give back to a community that has given so much and that she simply loves being a puppy raiser.”

The difference these dogs make in the life of a Veteran is profound. Mike Young, a Veteran Army Ranger, witnessed firsthand the impact of a service dog when his friend, David, also an Army Ranger Veteran, received his service dog, Finn, from the Dog Alliance. “David’s life changed dramatically,” Young said. “On the first day he received Finn, he took his wife out to dinner for the first time in 10 years.”

Dennis Moser is a Veteran who has benefited from the Veterans Service Dog Program and brings his dog, Lady, a certified therapy dog, to the training sessions offered by the Dog Alliance. He is seeking a service dog designation for Lady. He stated that working with the Dog Alliance “has given me a whole new lease on life.”

With an experienced team, including certified trainers, and a well-defined process for training service dogs to mitigate a disability, the Dog Alliance provides immense service to Veterans. For those interested in supporting this mission, whether by volunteering, becoming a “puppy raiser,” or through donations, visit www.thedogalliance.org.