Shannon Walker is the CEO & Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit providing service dogs to combat veterans with PTSD. Inspired by her father, a veteran, Shannon’s passion for supporting veterans runs deep.

In 1997, Shannon established Mans Best Friend – Dog Training, impacting both dogs and owners positively. Recognizing the importance of service dogs, she trained Police K9 units for seven local departments starting in 2002.

As an expert, Shannon delivers TEDx talks like “PTSD and Service Dogs: Beneath The Surface,” shedding light on their profound impact. She’s a sought-after speaker on nationally-syndicated News Radio Stations.

Shannon has been the Executive Director of ASDPMV since 2023, serving since 2017. She has contributed through the Standards Committee and Members Committee since 2019. She’s also an active member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).

You’ve recently announced that Northwest Battle Buddies will be celebrating its 300th service dog team this Fall. Congratulations on this incredible achievement! Why is reaching this milestone so significant in the fight against PTSD among Veterans?

Since 2012, Northwest Battle Buddies (NWBB) has been making a tremendous difference in the lives of Veterans with PTSD by pairing them with specially trained service dogs to help them overcome the debilitating symptoms of PTSD. The recent study published in the Journal of Archives in Military Medicine (2025) proves these specially trained dogs provide a clinically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms. Sixty percent of the service dog teams used in the study were NWBB pairings – making the findings a direct reflection of the program’s impact.

For many Veterans, a service dog isn’t just a companion, it’s a life changing tool which helps not only the Veteran but also their families, through the trickle down effect, to live a better life after service. . This study affirms what we witness every day: Veterans reclaim parts of themselves they once believed were lost forever. Reaching the milestone of our 300th service dog graduation is truly a celebration of the lives transformed with these Veteran and service dog teams. We are immensely proud of the ongoing contribution NWBB is making, and will continue to make, in supporting Veterans across the country.

In light of this recent landmark study, what are the key takeaways about the therapeutic impact of service dogs for Veterans with PTSD?

The results of this large-scale, peer-reviewed study with NWBB at the forefront represent one of the most rigorous evaluations to date examining the therapeutic role of psychiatric service dogs in managing PTSD. The findings include clinically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms; relief across all PTSD symptom categories, reduction in co-occurring depression, gains in resilience, life satisfaction, and emotional well-being, less isolation, more engagement; and Veteran perception of healing was overwhelmingly positive. Their findings confirm that service dogs offer significant mental health benefits for veterans with PTSD, particularly in alleviating symptoms and enhancing overall well-being.

How do your service dogs support and transform the lives of Veterans?

There are men and women who are completely transformed from the day they meet us to five weeks later when they walk away with that dog. They are forever changed for the better, and there is even more hope for them to look forward to.

NWBB service dogs’ skills include waking their Veteran from nightmares, interrupting anxiety attacks, redirecting flashbacks, alerting to adrenaline, providing a social barrier in public, performing pressure therapy, and offering a constant sense of safety. The service dogs spend five months in intensive training, followed by five additional weeks with their Veteran handler. Many service dogs are rescued from animal shelters.

Day-to-day life opens up for these Veterans, as the dogs help with everyday tasks most of us take for granted – grocery shopping, navigating crowded malls, and accompanying Veterans through TSA and airport procedures. These Veterans can attend their grandkids’ events, participate in social activities, and more as the dogs become a lifeline to freedom and independence.

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Veterans and Service Dogs have long been a personal story for you. Would you care to share some background?

My journey with Veterans and service dogs is deeply personal. My father, Glenn Walker, was a veteran who served as an Airman 2nd Class in the Korean War with the United States Air Force. He taught me to believe in God, family, and country and to regard the veterans who served our nation as heroes.

As a known dog trainer, a veteran approached me for assistance in training his beloved yellow lab, Sammy, to help with his PTSD. This marked the beginning of an incredible journey not only for Sammy and her veteran handler but also for me. As the training advanced, I witnessed an extraordinary bond in the handler-dog relationship, one I had never experienced in my professional career. Sammy began interrupting flashbacks and panic attacks triggered by adrenaline, diffusing those moments and providing comfort during instances that could have led to a fight or flight response. There was no denying Sammy’s positive influence on her veteran’s life – and so Northwest Battle Buddies was born.

Sammy was service dog #1, and now NWBB looks forward to our next significant milestone: dog #300.

For me, hope is never lost. Hope is not just a feeling, it’s a mission. Each service dog placed with a veteran signifies a new chapter, a chance to reclaim life, and a reminder that no hero should have to fight alone. For those with PTSD, one of the most effective and life-changing treatments for veterans coping with PTSD is a trained service dog, which offers companionship, emotional grounding, and support to help them live life to the fullest again.

How can the public support NWBB?

To celebrate and further our impactful work, we encourage community involvement. Whether through donations, volunteer opportunities, or fostering service dogs, there are numerous ways that you can support this vital mission.

We are also runners up in the Defender Service Awards, who recognize and empower nonprofits who bring positive impact to their communities. Should we win our category as an Honoree, the $30,000 prize money will serve to fund another service dog for another Veteran. Public voting begins October 3rd through October 19th.

For more information about Northwest Battle Buddies, please visit our website at northwestbattlebuddies.org. Join in supporting our veterans and the dedicated service dogs that play a crucial role in their healing journey.

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