Fidos For Freedom

The day Kenny met Mabry was the beginning of something remarkable. But it wasn’t the connection alone that changed his life. It was what came next.

Before Mabry, it could take Kenny more than 24 hours to ground himself after a difficult moment, often relying on the support of his family and disrupting daily life for everyone. Today, with Mabry by his side, that same recovery can take as little as 20 to 30 minutes, allowing Kenny to regain his footing and continue with his day. One of the ways Mabry makes that possible is through interruption tasks.

When Kenny begins to show early signs of anxiety, such as his hands twitching, Mabry notices almost immediately. With a gentle bump of his nose, Mabry alerts Kenny that something is happening before those feelings continue to build.

Mabry’s support doesn’t end there. Deep pressure therapy is another important part of their partnership. Whether Kenny is sitting on the floor or standing, Mabry adjusts to what Kenny needs. If Kenny is standing, Mabry moves between his legs and leans against him, providing steady pressure that helps Kenny regain a sense of calmness.

“He makes me feel secure in the environment so that I’m not looking around as much. He does that 2 ways, facing forward and facing backward between the legs.”

Today, Kenny is more confident and secure no matter where life takes them. After only a few months together, their partnership is already making a remarkable difference. With Mabry by his side, Kenny isn’t just navigating each day with greater confidence. He’s looking toward the future with a renewed sense of hope for himself and his family.

This partnership was made possible through the support of an entire community. Thanks to the generous donations raised by Shootout for Soldiers and the incredible athletes, supporters, volunteers, and donors who make the event possible, Kenny and Mabry were able to be matched and sponsored. Their story is a reminder that changing one life is never the work of one person. It takes a community coming together to make life-changing partnerships like theirs possible.

When Kenny first met Mabry, he didn’t know exactly why, but something felt different.
“It was kind of a connection immediately… and he was doing things naturally that the other dogs weren’t doing.” They had only worked together a few times, but that was all it took for something remarkable to begin unfolding. Every partnership, though, has a story, and Kenny’s began long before he ever met Mabry.

Kenny is a 20-year Navy veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009. A year later, he married his wife, and together they built a family with five children. While serving his country and raising a family, Kenny was also quietly navigating the daily challenges and struggles of PTSD.

In 2016, Kenny first began looking into getting a service dog. It wasn’t until five years later that he started applying to different organizations, but the timing never seemed to work out. Eventually, that journey led him to Fidos For Freedom, and in February 2026, Kenny was officially matched with a 2.5-year-old black Labrador retriever named Mabry. After years of waiting, the partnership he had hoped for had finally begun.

Today, Kenny and Mabry have been working together for just over two months during their probationary period, and the impact of their partnership is already clear.

Kenny and Mabry’s story is just beginning. Follow along as we share more of their journey this week.

Throughout International Assistance Dog Week, we've celebrated what truly means by sharing the stories behind life-changing partnerships. You've met the puppy raisers and trainers who invest countless hours into a young dog's future. The volunteers who give their time, talents, and hearts. You've seen what life can look like before a service dog, and how a single partnership can help restore confidence, independence, and hope.

Now, we'd like to introduce another part of that story. For veterans living with combat-related PTSD, a service dog can make all the difference. But these partnerships don't happen alone. This year, we're honored to once again be selected as one of Shootout for Soldiers' nonprofit partners.

Through the generosity of sponsors and community partners like Shootout for Soldiers, more veterans are able to receive a highly trained service dog that helps them move forward with greater confidence, security, and independence after their military service has ended

Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing the stories of veterans whose lives have been changed through these partnerships and the community that makes them possible.

Every story is unique. Every partnership begins with people who choose to make a difference. Together, we're helping create partnerships that change lives and, for some, save them.

Honoring Every Journey. Inspiring Every Partnership. 💜🐾

When someone has a disability, things that seem simple to others can become some of the hardest parts of the day. And it's not just the disabilities you can see. It's also the ones you can't. For many people, everyday tasks take more time, more energy, and more effort. Some disabilities affect the body. Others affect the mind. Many affect both.

Over time, those challenges can chip away at something many people take for granted: independence. And that... that right there is one of the hardest things anyone can lose.

The toll isn't just physical. It's mental. It's emotional. It's wondering if today will be a good day or a hard one. It's adapting, planning, and pushing through challenges that most people never have to think twice about. It's deciding whether today is a day you can go out or if your body is telling you it needs to rest.

I've lived with my disability my whole life, and there have been days where I used all my energy just for daily living. But no matter how hard those days were, I kept going. My life took a turn I never could have imagined. I was partnered with my very first service dog. That moment... that moment marked the beginning of a journey that continues to this day.

The truth is, though, that this isn't just my story. It's the story of so many people living with disabilities. Every day, we face challenges most people never see, yet we continue to move forward with incredible strength, resilience, and kindness.


Being a service dog partner is more than just having a dog by your side. It's trust. It's freedom. It's being given hope again. It's two souls learning to walk through life together as one.

— Trisha Munch

Service Dog Partner to Astra

Every volunteer has their own reason for saying "yes."

Whether they're mentoring the next generation through our Junior Program, supporting therapy dog teams, helping prepare future service dogs, assisting at events, or stepping in wherever they're needed, volunteers are part of nearly every corner of Fidos For Freedom.

Many wear more than one hat, giving countless hours of their time, talents, and energy to help our mission move forward. Much of their work happens quietly, often behind the scenes, but their impact can be found throughout our organization.

Every hour they give, every challenge they take on, and every role they step into helps strengthen the programs, partnerships, and community that make Fidos what it is.

Because life-changing work is never the result of one person.

It happens when a community comes together.

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Every life-changing partnership is built one lesson at a time.

After a puppy raiser provides the foundation, trainers help each dog develop the advanced skills they'll need to support their future partner. Every task, every challenge, and every success brings them one step closer to becoming an assistance dog.

Training requires patience, consistency, and a deep understanding of both the dog and the person they will one day serve. It's a journey of learning, growing, and celebrating the small moments that lead to extraordinary outcomes.

Behind every confident assistance dog is a trainer who believed in their potential from the very beginning.

Their dedication is another reminder that no partnership is built by one person. It happens when a community comes together.

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Being part of Fidos has given our family a shared purpose. People often ask how we can give up a puppy after a year. The answer is seeing how important those dogs become in our clients' lives."

~Craig and Kristen Higgins

Every life-changing partnership begins with a community, and every community begins with someone willing to say "yes."

For puppy raisers, that "yes" means opening their homes, their schedules, and their hearts to a future assistance dog. During the first year of a puppy's life, they help build the foundation through socialization, training, and everyday experiences that prepare each dog for the next stage of their journey.

Puppy raising is filled with early mornings, sleepless nights, countless training opportunities, and plenty of unforgettable moments. While saying goodbye is never easy, puppy raisers know each step of the journey brings these remarkable dogs one step closer to changing someone's life.

Their dedication is the first chapter in every life-changing partnership, reminding us that no partnership begins with just one person. It happens when a community comes together.

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🐾 IT’S A MATCH! 🐾
Congratulations to our newest team, Brandi and Augie! 🎉🐕‍🦺
This exciting milestone marks the beginning of a wonderful partnership filled with independence, support, trust, and companionship. Watching Brandi and Augie bond, learn, and grow together has been truly inspiring. We are so proud of how far they have come and can’t wait to watch their journey continue as a team! 💙
It takes many dedicated people to prepare a service dog for this very special role, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been part of Augie’s journey:
🐾 Breeder: Project 2 Heal
🐾 Puppy Raisers: Reka Montfort and Julia Alexander
🐾 Prison Program: Sherri Sirotkin, Tails of Freedom Program at FCI Cumberland
🐾 Trainers: Mary Austin and Pat Jarvis
🐾 Case Manager: Tatiane Swap
Thank you for the time, dedication, love, and training you have given along the way. Each of you played an important role in helping Brandi and Augie reach this special moment.
Congratulations, Brandi and Augie! Here’s to the beginning of an amazing journey together! 🐾

Every life-changing partnership begins with something bigger than a service dog. It begins with a community.

Throughout International Assistance Dog Week, we're celebrating what it truly means to be .

Over the next week, we'll take you behind the scenes at Fidos For Freedom to introduce the people who make these partnerships possible. From puppy raisers and volunteers to trainers, clients, donors, and so many others, every person plays a role in helping a service dog change a life.

Because a life-changing partnership is never built by just one person.

It takes a community that believes in one another, gives generously, and works together with one shared purpose.

Join us this week as we celebrate the people, the stories, and the heart behind every partnership.

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