Today we’d like to introduce you to Janeen Baggette.
Janeen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a Combat Veteran, Law Enforcement Officer and K9 Handler/Trainer. Being in this realm, I have seen horrible sights, have had to endure high stress situations and have taken more than my share of abuse while working in these fields. I wanted to take a positive step to help those who I know have also been in my shoes. I didn’t want to just complain. So, I started the Organization to do just that. It has taken some twists and turns along the way, but still moving forward.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been anything but smooth. I have faced doing it alone, filing paperwork myself without an attorney. Funding out of my own pocket is how it started. I have gotten some donations but right now that is hard for everyone. I have had individuals abuse our dogs, lie on applications, and then blame the Organization for their situation. I keep moving forward with what we do, it’s too important to stop.
K9’s For Freedom & Independence – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We take shelter and rescued dogs and train them as Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) K9s. These dogs are K9s with their agencies and help to serve those going through a stressful situation. It could be a Natural Disaster, a Line of Duty Death, a Mass Shooting Incident, a Special Needs Child Issue at School or a personal tragedy. We do this at no cost to the recipient. We do ask for any kind of donation to help us with travel so the money we do have can be used for the training of the next dog. No one else trains CIRT K9s, gets them assigned as Department K9s, or gets them accepted as a recipient of another Organization that can help with medical bills. We are so very proud of the work our CIRT K9s have done within their communities. CIRT K9 Josie, CIRT K9 Gus and soon to be CIRT K9 Jax have been amazing assets to their agencies. The lives that they are helping is a sight to see. We have teamed up with The Code 9 Project and Project K9 Hero to get even more dogs placed to help even more people.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Getting the phone calls from Department CIRT K9 Handlers of the difference they made in their time of need. I have been called about CIRT K9 Josie helping at the local elementary school when a special needs student could not be calmed down and Josie did. CIRT K9 Gus helping a local Department get through the death of a fellow employee and friend are just a few of the latest.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.k9sforfreedom.org
- Email: info@k9sforfreedom.org
- Facebook: #K9sForFreedomIndependence
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