First 4 'Liberty Dog' puppies training to become service animals for veterans

RENO, Nev. (KRNV) — A new program in Reno will train roughly 200 dogs per year to become service animals for veterans across the country.

With Veterans Day right around the corner, the Liberty Dogs Foundation is excited to announce the start to its program with its first four puppies officially in training.

"Liberty Dogs will provide trained service dogs for veterans with disabilities and really give them an opportunity to lead a more independent and fulfilling life," Board Member for the Liberty Dogs Foundation Amy Zeifang said.

The Liberty Dogs program comes from Nevada couple Dave and Cheryl Duffield, who are also funding the construction and operation of the entire facility, which is currently being built on Damonte Ranch Parkway.

The campus will be made up of nine buildings, including temporary housing for veterans to come and stay for two weeks while they train with the dogs before taking them home with them.

The dogs will learn an array of skills and then be paired with a veteran based on compatibility and which skills are most suited to the veteran's needs.

"What we'll specialize in is cross-training these dogs. So these dogs will be able to perform the psychiatric as well as the physical mobility tasks to be more dynamic for our veterans," Liberty Dogs Foundation CEO Kyle Cory-Yaeggi said.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2026. In the meantime, the four dogs currently in training are working and living with volunteer puppy raisers or program apprentices.

"The main thing is socialization and teaching her how to be a polite, proper puppy," Jasper Isenberg, one of the volunteer puppy raisers, said.

More information on the program and volunteer opportunities are available online here.