Photo: Left to right: Tom Olivero with Kade; Chris Thomas with Chief; Shaye Frey with Ronnie; John Maleski with Bloom

Five warriors walked out of Axel’s Place on Saturday with new strength, new hope, and a highly trained service dog by their side as Leashes of Valor (LOV) held its Nov. 8, 2025 Warrior Graduation at its Old Plank Road headquarters.

The ceremony brought together veterans, families, foster families, trainers, supporters, and community partners in a warm, emotional gathering filled with pride, gratitude, and powerful stories of service and healing.

The event opened with remarks from retired Marine and LOV Chief Development Officer Chris Bowers, who shared his deeply personal journey. Wounded in Iraq in 2008, Bowers endured two years of limb-salvage efforts before his leg was amputated in 2010. His service dog, Gunner, helped him rebuild his life.

“Gunner helped me learn how to love myself again,” Bowers said, remembering the dog he recently lost at age 15. “The strength and love he gave me is what I hope we’re passing on to the veterans we serve.”
Bowers asked all foster families to stand—earning loud applause: “Our fosters are truly the heartbeat of LOV,” he said. “We could not do what we do without you.”

He also recognized LOV’s trainers, Lisa, Karen, Garrett and Angie, calling them “the most dedicated trainers we’ve ever worked with.”

Several special guests were recognized for their generous support, including the Walter Reed Society’s Daniel Bullis and John Wetterau, who sponsored two graduating dogs; Emily, named for Dr. Walter Reed’s wife, and Ronnie, a rescued dog who proved an ideal candidate from the moment he connected with LOV trainers. Cindy Bloom of Veterans Bloom sponsored the graduate dog Bloom, whose own story of transforming personal loss into purpose mirrors the mission of her nonprofit. Gerard “Gerry” Roetry contributed $28,000 to sponsor Chief, named in honor of his father-in-law, Army veteran and retired assistant fire chief John Durbin, who once waived his draft exemption to serve.

To close, Bowers introduced LOV founder and CEO Jason Haag, a Marine Corps veteran who survived three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After suffering invisible wounds of war, Haag was on the verge of giving up when he found Axel, the German shepherd rescue who saved his life.

Inspired by that bond, Haag founded Leashes of Valor in 2017 to give other veterans the same lifeline.

Jen Bailey

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