It's not a big program. There's no ribbon-cutting or grant announcement. But every week in Jefferson County, veterans and first responders are showing up with their dogs — and leaving a little better for it.
The Valor Dog Club, affiliated with Battle Buddies of Central Oregon, offers free weekly group dog obedience training specifically for veterans and first responders in the Madras area. The sessions are open to any active or retired military member, law enforcement officer, firefighter, or EMS provider — no cost, no bureaucratic hoops.
What Battle Buddies Does
Battle Buddies of Central Oregon is an all-volunteer organization with a straightforward mission: prevent veteran and first responder suicide by building connection, purpose, and routine. K9 training is their primary vehicle for doing it — and they've found it works.
The logic is simple. Training a dog requires focus, patience, and consistency — qualities that translate directly into mental discipline. And dogs, by their nature, provide unconditional companionship and a reason to get outside and engage with the world. For veterans dealing with PTSD or isolation, and for first responders processing the cumulative stress of the job, those benefits can be profound.
The program offers basic K9 obedience training at no cost to participants. Dogs of any breed and age are welcome. Handlers do not need any prior training experience.
Timely Support After a Hard Summer
The timing is worth noting. Jefferson County's first responders have had an exceptionally demanding summer — battling the Round Butte Fire west of Madras, supporting evacuation efforts connected to the Bench Fire on the Warm Springs Reservation, and responding to an elevated call volume driven by drought and fire danger across the county. The toll of repeated high-stress incidents on first responder mental health is well-documented, and programs like Valor Dog Club exist precisely to address it before it becomes a crisis.
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office added its own therapy dog-in-training last fall — a recognition at the institutional level of how important animal-assisted support can be for people in high-stress public safety roles.
How to Join
The Valor Dog Club meets weekly. Jefferson County Library District lists the group among its veteran resources, and the program can be reached directly:
- Phone: 928-699-6905
- Website: wak9training.com
Veterans and first responders from across Jefferson County — including Warm Springs, Culver, Metolius, Crooked River Ranch, and Ashwood — are welcome to participate. No advance registration is required for an initial visit; just bring your dog and show up.
It's a small thing, perhaps. But in a county that asks a great deal of the people who serve it, small things matter.