Shannon WalkerEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

In this episode of Chats from the Blog Cabin, Melissa Vera interviews Shannon Walker, the founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, an organization that provides service dogs to veterans with PTSD. Shannon shares her personal connection to the military and her passion for animals, which led her to start training service dogs. She explains how Northwest Battle Buddies came about and the rigorous training process the dogs go through. Shannon also discusses the importance of proper etiquette when encountering a service dog and how people can support the organization. takeaways Northwest Battle Buddies provides service dogs to veterans with PTSD The organization trains dogs from shelters and purpose breeds them The dogs undergo extensive training to ensure they have the right temperament and skills Proper etiquette is important when encountering a service dog People can support Northwest Battle Buddies through donations and fundraising Helpful Links Northwest Battle Buddies https://northwestbattlebuddies.org/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northwestbattlebuddies/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-T7QmOqo20RIRvzhe9ZEmQ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestBattleBuddies/

We’ve all seen service dogs in action, but most of us don’t know just what heroes they are. Today’s guest is here to tell us all about the secret lives of service dogs. Shannon Walker is the CEO & Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, a nonprofit providing service dogs to combat veterans with PTSD. Inspired by her father, who was a veteran, she also founded Man’s Best Friend Dog Training and has worked tirelessly to not only train service dogs but to educate the public about what they do and how they provide a vital lifeline for veterans. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Shannon became involved in training service dogs and what she’s learned along the way. The difference between therapy dogs, emotional support dogs and service dogs. What kinds of disabilities service dogs assist veterans with.

Happy Black History Month! Grace Simmons welcomes Shannon Walker, host of Your Hair Made Simple , to discuss the intersection of solo travel, natural hair journeys, and confidence-building. Shannon shares how an international trip as a teen kickstarted her natural hair journey and how solo travel helped her build resilience, embrace change, and step into new experiences with confidence. From navigating Hawaii’s breathtaking landscapes to embracing self-care on the road, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to travel solo and grow along the way. Episode Highlights: How an international trip led to Shannon’s natural hair transformation. The connection between hair, identity, and travel for Black women. The importance of self-care and confidence while traveling. Planning and budgeting tips for solo travel. How embracing solo travel can lead to personal breakthroughs. Learn a little more about Shannon Walker: Shannon Walker is the Founder and Podcast Host of Your Hair Made Simple , a platform dedicated to sharing authentic stories and information to help people embrace their natural hair with clarity, confidence, and courage. She is also the founder of Elise Enablement Services, where she facilitates strategy development and planning workshops for entrepreneurs and leadership teams. With a professional background in Strategy, Enablement, and Operations, and a foundation in Business and Education, Shannon brings a wealth of knowledge to her work. An adventurer and a lover of life, she finds joy in exploring new places and inspiring others to embrace their journey with confidence. Stay connected: Website: yourhairmadesimple.com Instagram: @wanderingtomyself Your Hair Made Simple Podcast: Available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts Social Media: @yourhairmadesimple (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) Resources Mentioned: Shannon’s podcast Your Hair Made Simple National Parks in Hawaii ( Volcanoes National Park ) About the Green Sand Beach: https://www.lovebigisland.com/quick-and-remarkable-facts-about-hawaii/green-sand-beach/ Let's stay in touch: Interested in an upcoming retreat? Join the waitlist! Follow Grace Simmons on Instagram @amethystpalaverhut & @random.wonderful .

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of The Fur Real podcast, Shannon Walker, founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, shares the incredible impact of her organization. Since 2011, Northwest Battle Buddies has been transforming the lives of veterans suffering from PTSD by pairing them with specially trained service dogs, known as “Battle Buddies.” With an estimated 22 veterans losing their lives to suicide daily—a rate 50% higher than that of non-veterans—this work is crucial. Shannon explains the rigorous, months-long training process that both the dogs and veterans undergo to form a bond rooted in mutual support and care. Once completed, these pairs provide each other with unwavering companionship, helping veterans manage the overwhelming and life-altering effects of PTSD. While PTSD was only officially recognized in 1980, its impact on veterans remains profound and lasting. Although PTSD cannot be cured, programs like Northwest Battle Buddies offer a path to healing, providing hope and resilience to American heroes who carry these invisible wounds daily. This episode is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming, as Shannon’s passion and dedication shine through every word. It’s a powerful message of hope and the extraordinary connection between veterans and their “Battle Buddies.” www.furrealpodcast.com www.northwestbattlebuddies.org fb The Fur Real Podcast fb Northwest Battle Buddies ig @thefurrealpodcast ig @northwestbattlebuddies tik tok @thefurrealpodcast threads @thefurrealpodcast Blue Sky The Fur Real Podcast Speical thanks to J Jig Cicero @jjigcicero for our music intro and outro..you rock!!! Special thanks to Jake Olson jfolson.music@gmail.com for awesome sound editing and to our supporters: www.prepvet.com Stem cells for pets See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Shannon Walker is an esteemed canine expert, renowned dog trainer, and the CEO and founder of Northwest Battle Buddies -- a non-profit organization dedicated to providing service dogs to combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These precisely-trained dogs (and their precisely-trained humans!) provide veterans a way forward, when they may not have seen one. The service dogs allow vets to live in a way that civilians often take for granted -- whether it's taking your 5 year old daughter to the park or grabbing some milk in the grocery store. These parts of life that seem so basic to others might often seem paralyzing an incredibly difficult for vets with PTSD. Shannon shares why it is critical for a veterans to have service dogs, which she considers service equipment. Veterans with PTSD have a shockingly high suicide rate after returning home to civilian life. After gifting more than 250 dogs to veterans (that would cost $25,000 per dog), they have not lost a single vet to suicide. These highly trained animals are very carefully matched with their owners based on their needs, including: if the vet has a family, if they are working, if they have any disabilities, and more. Shannon has been in this field for nearly three decades and established Mans Best Friend – Dog Training in 1997, where she continues to make a positive impact in the lives of both dogs and their owners. She originally trained using the Schutzhund methodology, a European canine sport that evaluates a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection abilities. Shannon Walker - Guest Shannon's LinkedIn Northwest Battle Buddies IG account Northwest Battle Buddies website Julie Berman - Podcast Host & Producer Julie Berman's LinkedIn Profile @womencooljobs (Instagram) www.womenwithcooljobs.com Send Julie a text!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I absolutely LOVE being the host and producer of "Women with Cool Jobs", where I interview women who have unique, trailblazing, and innovative careers. It has been such a blessing to share stories of incredible, inspiring women since I started in 2020. If you have benefitted from this work, or simply appreciate that I do it, please consider buying me a $5 coffee. ☕️ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/julieberman Thank you so much for supporting me -- whether by sharing an episode with a friend, attending a LIVE WWCJ event in Phoenix, connecting with me on Instagram @womencooljobs or LinkedIn, sending me a note on my website ( www.womenwithcooljobs.com ), or by buying me a coffee! It all means so much.

Today and always, we honor our Veterans in America. This special program features Shannon Walker, founder of Northwest Battle Buddies. What can YOU do to impact PTSD? Listen to the story of Northwest Battle Buddies, contribute today and help our Veterans move their lives forward. Hear the heart of Shannon and sense the difference her team has made with 257 service dogs, saving 257 lives. One dog, one life at at time. This is the story that will touch your heart and hopefully lead to a call to action. Thank you Veterans for our freedom. Contribute today to www.northwestbattlebuddies.org Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support .

In this episode I have the honor to have Shannon Walker on as a special guest! Shannon is the founder and CEO of Northwest Battle Buddies. Northwest battle buddies is a nonprofit dedicated to providing professionally trained service dogs to combat Veterans battling PTSD, at no cost to the Veteran. With a professional dog training career spanning nearly three decades, Shannon is renowned for her profound dedication and tireless service to our nation's heroes. Born in Pendleton, Oregon, Shannon's lifelong passion for dogs and training propelled her into the world of Schutzhund—a European canine sport renowned for testing a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection skills. Training under the tutelage of 1988 world Schutzhund champion Gene England, Shannon acquired extensive experience and knowledge in this specialized training method. Her diligence led to a decade-long competitive career at local, regional, national, and international levels, culminating in her winning the 2003 European Championship in Diest, Belgium. Shannon's dedication to canine development is exemplified by her successful establishment of Man's Best Friend Boarding and Training Kennel in Battle Ground, Washington, in 1997. Over the years, Shannon and her team have trained thousands of dogs, addressed various behavioral issues, and provided solutions for both family pets and service dogs. In 2011, Shannon was approached by a U.S. Veteran of the Iraq conflict who sought her assistance with his service dog. Deeply moved by the transformative impact of the service dog on this Veteran's life, Shannon was inspired to found Northwest Battle Buddies in 2012. To date, NWBB has partnered hundreds of professionally trained dogs with Veterans from all branches of the U.S. military, with Shannon overseeing the extensive training and care of all dogs and handler instruction provided to each Veteran. Shannon's contact information https://northwestbattlebuddies.org/ https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestBattleBuddies/ https://www.instagram.com/northwestbattlebuddies/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-T7QmOqo20RIRvzhe9ZEmQ Sponsor CalmiGo Enter the code BHIPODCAST for $30 off the device. calmigo.com?fid=614&utm_source=affiliatly&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=Jacob_Minnig-614&utm_content=facebook-ig&utm_term=BHIPODCAST&source=affiliatly&placement=facebook-ig&medium=influencer&aff_id=614&aff_name=Jacob_Minnig&coupon_code=BHIPODCAST

Shannon Walker, CEO & Founder of Northwest Battle Buddies, shares her inspiring journey of providing service dogs to Veterans with PTSD. Walker, with 30 years of dog training experience, sheds light on the challenges and rewards of running a non-profit compared to her previous businesses. Funding remains a constant hurdle, but she discusses various fundraising strategies and the importance of building a strong team with diverse expertise. Northwest Battle Buddies has successfully paired 244 service dogs with Veterans, highlighting the life-changing impact these canine companions have on veterans struggling with PTSD. Walker emphasizes the proven effectiveness of service dogs and offers valuable advice for those considering starting their own non-profit Episode Resources: Northwest Battle Buddies About Our Guest 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. Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship. About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union Becoming a member at Navy Federal Credit Union could help you earn more and save more. Their certificate options could earn you more than standard savings accounts with competitive rates. Not all financial institutions offer you as many choices for savings options as Navy Federal does. For example, you could start your savings journey with a low minimum deposit, add money at any time and watch your savings GROW! Thanks to flexible terms, you can use Navy Federal’s savings options for all kinds of goals—short or long-term. Considering a big home improvement project? Maybe you want to consolidate debt? You could borrow up to 100% of your home’s equity with a Fixed-Rate Home Equity Loan with ZERO closing costs, or easily borrow as you go with a Home Equity Line of Credit. BOTH options could help make life's big expenses seem more manageable. To learn more, visit NavyFederal.org. At Navy Federal, our members are the mission. Want to be our next guest? Send us an email at interview@veteranonthemove.com. Did you love this episode? Leave us a 5-star rating and review! Download Joe Crane’s Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Veteran On the Move podcast has published 500 episodes. Our listeners have the opportunity to hear in-depth interviews conducted by host Joe Crane. The podcast features people, programs, and resources to assist veterans in their transition to entrepreneurship. As a result, Veteran On the Move has over 7,000,000 verified downloads through Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, iTunes and RSS Feed Syndication making it one of the most popular Military Entrepreneur Shows on the Internet Today.

Today on the PDX Pet Connection podcast, I have Shannon Walker, founder and CEO of Northwest Battle Buddies. Stay tuned to hear about how they partner veterans suffering from PTSD with professionally trained service dogs to help them regain their independence. You can find more information about Northwest Battle Buddies on their website , YouTube channel , and by following them on Instagram and Facebook . I hope you enjoy this episode with your furry best friend. If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to become part of the PDX Pet Connection community, join our Facebook group and connect with other pet parents, businesses, services, and charities.