Warrior Service Dogs for Veterans in North Carolina

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 14 Sep 2014 - Updated: 3 Aug 2026
Publication Type: Informative

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information profiles Warrior Service Dogs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Western North Carolina started by three OEF and OIF combat veterans to pair fellow veterans with disabilities with trained service dogs at no cost. The group will either train a veteran's own dog or scout local shelters to find and train a suitable dog for that veteran's specific needs, with instruction led by certified dog trainer and behavior modification specialist Shane Cox alongside certified trainer Chris Stewart. It matters to veterans living with physical and psychological disabilities, and to their families, because the organization frames access around removing barriers rather than charging fees, holding free weekday training sessions at Carrier Park in Asheville. The account carries weight because it is told through the founders' own military service and lived experience with service dogs, including President and co-founder Shane Cox and his dog Draven, which gives the profile a grounded, firsthand credibility that general descriptions of service animal programs often lack.

At a Glance

• 1 - Free training sessions run Monday through Friday from 4PM to 7PM at Carrier Park in Asheville.
• 2 - Co-founder Mike Ferguson served as a Marine infantryman and was selected for the 1st Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team.
• 3 - Secretary Tom Harris, an Army medic with the 82nd Airborne Division, chose a shelter pit bull and lab mix named Kiowa as his service dog.
• 4 - President Shane Cox served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005 with four deployments, including two tours in Iraq and one each in Afghanistan and Haiti.

Topic Definition

Warrior Service Dogs

Warrior Service Dogs is a nonprofit, veteran-founded organization based in Western North Carolina that trains service dogs specifically for military veterans living with disabilities, at no charge to the veteran. Rather than working from a single fixed model, the group offers two paths: it will train a veteran's own dog to perform the tasks that person needs, or it will help the veteran select a suitable dog from a local shelter and train that animal for the same purpose. Established as a 501(c)(3) by combat veterans and guided by certified dog trainers, the organization centers its work on peer support, drawing on the founders' own military service and personal experience with service dogs to understand what fellow veterans are facing. In practice, the name refers both to the organization itself and to the trained dogs it places, each matched to help a veteran manage the physical or psychological effects of their service.

Overview

Warrior Service Dogs is a 501-3 non-profit organization started by three OEF/OIF combat veterans in Western North Carolina. Their training is led by certified dog trainer and behavior modification specialist Shane Cox, as well as certified dog trainer Chris Stewart. The organization's goal is to work alongside and support America's veterans in any and every way they possibly can through the assistance of well-trained service dogs. Despite the form of disability or the specific needs of the veterans with disabilities they serve, Warrior Service Dogs will exceed expectations to provide the assistance veterans need by teaming them up with their very own service dog. The organization will happily train a veteran's own dog to become their service dog, or select a dog from a local shelter and train it for the veteran's specific needs.

The organization is currently holding training sessions free to any veteran at Carrier Park in Asheville.

Take 240 East to Exit 1C, Amboy Road, to the left of the picnic area. Monday through Friday from 4PM to 7PM they meet for the sessions. If you already have a dog, please contact Warrior Service Dogs or bring the dog with you. If you do not own a dog, the organization would enjoy scouting local shelters to help you to find the right dog. The organization says, "No need is too small; no disability is too big. We welcome any challenge and will passionately give back to our fellow veterans from all generations."

Shane Cox, President and Co-Founder

Shane served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman with the 3rd Battalion 8th Marines Kilo Company and 8th Marine Regiment between July of 2001 and July of 2005. During that period of time, Shane was deployed four times; twice to Iraq and one tour each in Afghanistan and Haiti. Shane now wants to provide veterans with the same support and assistance he receives from his own service dog Draven - his dog of nine years. Shane returned to school and received full certification in Dog Training and Behavior Modification. He has trained therapy dogs, service dogs, rescue dogs and a number of others. Shane lives in Asheville with his fiancee, Lauren.

Mike Ferguson, Co-Founder and Fundraising Event Director

Mike served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman from September of 2000 through September of 2004. He was selected to be part of the 1st Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) for his deployment to Iraq. Mike returned to Iraq a second time with 1st Battalion 5th Marine Regiment Bravo Company Weapons Platoon. As co-founder of Warrior Service Dogs, Mike has seen for himself the healing effects a service dog can have on a veteran.

Laura Harris, Treasurer

Even though Laura was never in the military herself, she completely supports and is proud to know the veterans of the organization. Laura grew up in Texas and Oklahoma and originally moved to the east coast to train horses. She eventually decided accounting held a better future, one with health insurance and retirement benefits, so she is now working towards her CPA and CFE credentials. Laura and her husband Tom met through their love of horses in the year 2008 and were married on Veterans Day in the year 2011. It was through Tom that Laura was introduced to the founders of Warrior Service Dogs. With Tom's in-training service dog Kiowa, they have the perfect Persephone.

Tom Harris, Secretary

Tom was a medic with the US Army's 1/505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He did two tours, one in Iraq and the other in Afghanistan. Tom retired from the Army in August of 2010 and met the other members of Warrior Service Dogs. He has now become the Secretary for the Organization. Tom was originally planning on having his dog, Persephone, become his service dog, but in a chance encounter at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue with Laura he met Kiowa, a pit bull/lab mix. After Tom was in the play area with Kiowa, he knew without a doubt that she was going to be his service dog. He took her home that very night and has had an amazing time working with Kiowa on her path toward certification.

Draven's Trail

Shane and Draven recently took a trip across several states in America. They logged their travels on the Warrior Service Dogs website, where you can read about their travels and experiences. In a short example of their story, Shane wrote about going to the VA in Tampa and encounters with others:

"Monday March 19th: Time to get to work today. Walk around VA Tampa for about an hour just observing people and how they react to just the sight of Draven. For everyone that shows fear or voices that they don't like his breed, there are five people that turn back into kids and eyes glow with the sight of him. That's the look that keeps me pushing forward, seen it at every VA so far and doubt I'll see it change in the future. Waiting to speak with the Disabled American Veterans representative to see if he can point me to who i need to talk to. While waiting I meet a veteran who also has a service animal in a stroller/pet carrier screened in. I hear her tell someone else that she has spells of passing out and that the her service animal will try and wake her up and if she doesn't wake up the animal hit a life alert button to notify the authorities."

The veterans behind Warrior Service Dogs share the same passion and enthusiasm to help those who served before us and for those who will continue to serve after us. The members of Warrior Service Dogs will supply the best trained dogs we can to our nation's warriors. As a veteran, it would please me greatly to find such an organization in Colorado. For veterans who live on the east coast, Warrior Service Dogs provides an incredible opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tasks can a service dog perform for a veteran

Depending on the veteran's needs, a service dog may assist with mobility, retrieve items, provide balance support, interrupt anxiety or nightmares, or alert to medical events such as fainting spells.

Is there a cost to receive a service dog from a veteran nonprofit like this

Many veteran service dog nonprofits provide training at no charge, and this organization offers its Asheville training sessions free to any veteran.

What is the difference between a service dog and an emotional support animal

A service dog is individually trained to perform specific tasks related to a disability, while an emotional support animal provides comfort through its presence but is not task trained.

Do service dogs have legal access to public places

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, task-trained service dogs are generally allowed to accompany their handlers in most public spaces, though emotional support animals do not have the same access rights.

How long does it usually take to train a service dog

Training timelines vary with the dog and the tasks involved, but it commonly takes many months to more than a year to reach full reliability and certification.

Can any breed of dog become a service dog

Suitability depends more on temperament, health, and trainability than on breed, so a well-matched shelter dog can succeed just as a purpose-bred dog can.

How can someone support a veteran service dog organization

People can typically help through donations, volunteering, fostering, or fundraising events, and should contact the organization directly to learn current needs.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: What sets this organization apart is that its leadership is built almost entirely from people who have lived the need firsthand, from Marine and Army veterans who served multiple combat tours to a treasurer working toward CPA and CFE credentials who came to the cause through her husband's own in-training service dog. The willingness to work with a veteran's existing pet, or to search shelters for the right match, speaks to a flexible, veteran-centered approach that treats the bond between handler and dog as the starting point rather than an afterthought, and the founders' stated view that no need is too small and no disability too big reflects a deliberately open door. For veterans on the east coast weighing whether a service dog could help with mobility, medical alerting, or the daily weight of post-service life, a locally run program staffed by peers who understand that experience offers something a larger, more distant provider may not.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.