Falconwood Welcomes WCC Thundercat
The puppy is the second Warrior Canine Connection dog to join the team following WCC Rocky’s graduation from the program earlier this year.
Falconwood is pleased to announce their newest addition to the company, a Labrador Retriever from Warrior Canine Connection (WCC) named WCC Thundercat. The Warrior Canine Connection is a nonprofit organization based in Boyds, Maryland that breeds, trains and places highly skilled service dogs with veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Falconwood has been participating in the WCC program for the past 2 years and previously hosted and trained fellow Labrador Retriever WCC Rocky, who graduated from the program earlier this year.
Falconwood’s founder and President Allie Lawaetz serves as Puppy Parent to the dog. Puppy Parents raise the service dogs for approximately two years before they graduate and are placed with a forever veteran. Each puppy goes home with their Puppy Parent between the age of 8-12 weeks. As part of this important task, Puppy Parents provide the support and training for the WCC service dog to include attending weekly training classes, teaching the dog manners and basic commands, and most importantly, providing a stable, safe, consistent and loving environment.
Falconwood and the Warrior Canine Connection’s partnership started when Lawaetz was looking for a new dog. Said Lawaetz, “My previous dog had recently passed away and I was looking for a pet to adopt. I did a little online research and as a veteran, was thrilled to find the WCC.”
Hosting WCC Thundercat marks her second time serving as a Puppy Parent. Her first puppy, WCC Rocky, completed his training early, in only 18 months and has now been placed with a veteran in need. During his time with Lawaetz, he attended all Falconwood company functions and frequently accompanied her into the office. The new arrival WCC Thundercat has now assumed his place within the ranks of Falconwood.
“As a puppy parent I take the pup to school every week, and depending on his rank, the class location is different,” continued Lawaetz. “We mostly train at a big box store or restaurant parking lot. The pups progress in rank from boot, private, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and then general. After they graduate, they attend 4 months of advanced training at the WCC headquarters.”
All WCC’s service dogs in training are named in honor of veterans, both past and present. Falconwood’s WCC Thundercat is named in honor of United States Army Major Tom Deierlein who’s combat injury in Baghdad inspired his commitment to serving others and led to his establishment of the TD Foundation, a volunteer organization dedicated to aiding the children of wounded warriors and fallen heroes, providing crucial support to veterans’ families in crisis. His call sign in Baghdad was “ThunderCat 6”.
WCC Thundercat will spend approximately two years in training, where he will learn to support the veteran he is paired with after his training is complete. This includes WCC’s Mission Based Trauma Recovery (MBTR) training program, which helps veterans with increased impulse control, sleep and emotional regulation, as well as helping decrease levels of stress, depression and hypervigilance.
Lawaetz summed up her experience as a Puppy Parent, “I would just add that the people you meet along the way are pretty cool and what the program does is amazing.”
Read more about WCC and its history here: https://warriorcanineconnection.org/how-we-help-warriors/program-history/
About Falconwood
Falconwood is a veteran-owned, woman-owned business management and technology consulting firm headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Founded in 2002, Falconwood specializes in professional services supporting all aspects of Information Technology, including planning, analysis, design, development, testing, integration, and implementation of information systems and networks.
About Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection is a pioneering organization that utilizes a Mission Based Trauma Recovery model to empower returning combat Veterans who have sustained physical and psychological wounds while in service to our country. Based on the concept of Warriors helping Warriors, WCC’s therapeutic service dog training program is designed to mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other challenges, while giving injured combat Veterans a sense of purpose, and help in reintegrating back into their families and communities. For more information, visit www.warriorcanineconnection.org.