Pat shares a bit about what it's like to be a puppy raiser, both the happy and the sad.

Brigadoon’s prison programs at WCC, Stafford Creek, and Coyote Ridge pair incarcerated handlers—including 25+ veterans—with service dogs in training. Handlers teach core skills while building patience, pride, and purpose. In 2025, over 40 handlers participated, gaining meaningful connections while preparing dogs for future placement. As participant Carl B. shared, the program teaches that kindness gets the best results and connects participants to a larger community.

Partnered in December 2024, post-9/11 Army veteran Adam and service dog Koda have built a life-changing team. Living with PTSD, Adam hesitated at making an invisible disability visible, but Koda’s calm presence made independence possible. Koda creates physical space in crowds, grounds Adam during stress, and wakes him from nightmares. Beyond trained tasks, Koda provides trust and partnership. As Adam shares, "He's changed my life in every possible way... He has my back."