“We take every dog we can get our hands on and then we train them to be the best dog they can be. We then give the dog to a veteran as a service animal.
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Why Listen:
SemperK9.org is an incredible organization helping the Veteran community. We talk about how they are helping Veterans with both physical and emotional needs, and how you can support them. We also talk about the path to starting a non-profit.
About Chris:
Chris is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of SemperK9 Assistance Dogs. He served in the USMC as a 5812- Military Working Dog Handler, and Specialized Search Dog Team Leader for over 7 years, including 3 combat tours in Iraq with explosive detection dogs. After his military service, he spent 1 year doing government contract work in Afghanistan and 3 years doing contract work with a detection dog in and around Washington DC. He also complete a 9 month internship with a national nonprofit to create a program training 'rescue' dogs to be service dogs.
Baity was awarded Washingtonian of the Year for 2017 by Washingtonian Magazine and selected as Evan Williams American-Made Hero.
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Selected Resources:
The Leadership Podcast - Have you ever wondered how you could become a more effective and balanced leader? Or how to find a team with a high degree of trust that performs at a level you’re accustomed to? Check out The Leadership Podcast where they study what makes the best leaders tick - including many who have moved "beyond the uniform" to reach new levels of success and fulfillment.
Transcript & Time Stamps:
2:50
Joining me today from Woodbridge, VA is Chris Baity. Chris is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Semper K9 Assistance Dogs. He served in the USMC as a 5812- Military Working Dog Handler, and Specialized Search Dog Team Leader for over 7 years, including 3 combat tours in Iraq with explosive detection dogs. After his military service, he spent a year doing government contract work in Afghanistan and 3 years doing contract work with a detection dog in and around Washington DC. He also completed a 9 month internship with a national nonprofit to create a program training rescue dogs to be service dogs.
Baity was awarded Washingtonian of the Year for 2017 by Washingtonian Magazine and selected as Evan Williams American-Made Hero.
3:55
How do you explain what you do for a living?
The joke is that I play with dogs. But in all seriousness, we take every dog we can get our hands on and then we train them to be the best dogs they can be. We then give the dog to a veteran to serve as a service dog.
4:35
What was the motivation to start Semper K9?
I needed something outside the government contract world to motivate me. We saw that we could fill a hole in the veteran service industry. We also give veterans the opportunity to volunteer with our organization as a way to give back.
5:40
How many dogs are you training at any one time?
Right now we’re scaled for 10-20 dogs per year. We currently have 18 dogs in training and I’m working to place these dogs with veterans in need. Veterans use the dogs to assist them in their everyday lives. In addition to providing training to the dogs, we also train the veteran in how to work with the dog.
Generally we train dogs to do medication reminders, assist with mobility, pushing buttons, and many other tasks that you would look for a caregiver to fill. We also train the dogs to provide psychological support. We try to take a very holistic approach to supporting the veteran.
9:00
What does your typical day look like?
In my role as Executive Director, it’s a lot of meetings and phone calls getting the word out about our services. There’s also a piece of my job that’s much more hands on with the dogs, assisting with the training of the dogs.
11:40
What is some of the impact you’ve seen?
We pride ourselves on our strong and direct connection with the veteran community. We cater the training a dog receives to the exact needs of the veteran. It really comes down to helping our veterans become better citizens in their community. We also notice a positive impact of the dogs on the children of service members.
15:27
Where do you get the dogs from?
The vast majority of our dogs come from our partner organization - Operation Paws for Homes. They pull eligible dogs from all over the country. We also get dogs that are donated from breeders, particularly labradors.
In 2020, we’re hoping to double the amount of service dogs we’re providing to our veteran community.
17:00
How long does the training process take?
It depends. Every dog is very different so it depends on the dog as well as the services that the veteran will need the dog to provide.
20:00
Who is eligible for a service dog?
All disabled veterans that have gotten approval from a physician for a service dog are eligible.
24:00
How can veterans work with your organization to receive a service dog?
The best thing a veteran can do is go to our website to begin the application process. We have a waiting list right now but I’m trying to work our way through that. In the meantime, veterans are welcome to come to any of our events to learn more about our organizations and our dogs.
28:10
What does it cost to train each dog?
It varies from dog to dog but across the industry, it takes about $20,000 to a service dog. As we’ve gotten more efficient in our operations, we’ve been able to improve the amount of money we’re spending on each dog. We’re then able to train more dogs and create a bigger impact on our veteran community.
30:00
How can people support your organization?
Our website lists multiple different ways people can volunteer with us. We also have year-round engagement opportunities for members of the community to work with us.
31:40
Can you share more about SemperK9’s family integration program?
Our organization cares not only about the veteran but the entire family. We engage the veteran’s family in the training and preparation for receiving a service dog.
Veteran suicide is a big challenge and a national crisis. It affects men and women in all 50 states. We want to use our organization and our dogs to help these veterans and their families.
36:00
What advice do you have for people wanting to start a non-profit?
Do your research before you get too far down the path of starting a non-profit. You should be altering and improving people’s experience in the world. Make sure your non-profit will have the impact you want it to.
SemperK9 was my wife’s idea. We decided together to go all in but it hasn’t always been easy. There’s been days when we’ve eaten ramen to save money. It’s a hard road but it’s rewarding too.
41:30
Where did your love of working with service dogs begin?
I joined the Marine Corps right after high school. I found out early on in the recruitment process that there was a job available for dog training. I ended up going to dog training school and then going duty station to duty station training dogs. That experience really helped me as I got SemperK9 up and running.
46:10
Is there anything else you’d like to share with listeners?
I encourage veterans to get involved in their community. Find something that you can give back to. Everybody needs to be involved. Selflessness goes a long way.