I met Chuck when he brought a litter of pups to our church Blessing of the Animals last year. Since then, I've seen him in action with his dogs. What a great guy, who gives his pups to veteran and first responder trainers, who then get them into the homes of those who need them. Chuck's not a one-trick pony, either! During Hurricane Harvey, he went to the coast and helped rescue pets that had been left trapped in flooded homes. This is a man who reaches out to others. If you can help a charity, this is a great one to help!
Hero Labradors / The Hero Academy is the most authentic and honorable organization around. Danique and her outstanding leadership team are comprised of Veterans who are fully invested in training dogs for areas of service suited to the varied needs of our Veterans, Law Enforcement, 911 Call Center Workers: their trained therapy dogs visit schools, hospitals, community centers, and so on. They fill a "special niche" in our community by allowing their superbly trained K9s to be paired with recipients who need healing on multiple, individualized levels. These dogs change the lives of their recipients bringing restoration and healing, as together, they form a very unique bond. Please check out
their social media pages to fully gain an understanding of the scope of services they provide. I will FOREVER be a donor and I will FOREVER believe in their mission!
My relationship with Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss of Hero Labradors located in Decatur, Texas began 10 months ago in December of 2022 when I was paired with one of his purpose-bred service dog puppies by way of K9s for Warriors in Ponte Vedra, Fla. I pursued a relationship with Hero Labradors upon graduating from K9s' three-week training program for veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD because I wanted to know from where my dog hailed, who his parents were and how he favored each parent, but more specifically, how I could best care for my dog's physical, emotional and medical needs as a new service animal handler, especially since it was about 30 years since I last owned a dog. One perceives dog ownership differently through the lens of an adult than through a child.
Thus far, my relationship with Hero Labradors has been incredibly beneficial! Much to my surprise, Chuck was happy to hear from me when I reached out to him -- some two years after he donated my dog to K9s for Warriors. He brought me happily into the organization's Facebook fold where I've learned quite a bit about my dog's parents, breed-specific behaviors, injuries, sicknesses and the routine dog maladies, etc., and how to keep him healthy and happy. I've even watched Chuck and his lovely wife handle multiple pregnant dogs birthing at the same time. When the pair sleeps, I'll never know.
What I've learned about Chuck, a combat vetern himself, is that he's a highly ethical man who owns an ethical organization, not some puppy mill where he's breeding the heck out of his females for the cold hard cash. Case in point, I've been watching the situation unfold with my dog's mother, who is currently being tested for an oncology issue. If she tests positive, Chuck has made it clear to his Facebook followers that Grace will absolutely receive the oncology treatment she deserves -- as opposed to just letting her suffer and die as a loss leader -- but she will mandatorily be retired from breeding to the couch where she can enjoy being a grandmother because he refuses to torture a dog by breeding her for the sake of breeding, especially while she's sick. See, that's Chuck for you; he really does put his animals first before the business of breeding because they matter more to him than a profit. And that is why I know he's not running a puppy mill. This is why I find him so respectable as an ethical and reputible dog breeder, something that's often hard to come by these days when puppy mills seem to rule the planet.
Additionally, you should know that you can't buy a Hero Labrador because Chuck takes no paycheck from breeding his fine dogs; the business functions solely by donations from caring people like you and me. That said, I hope my candid sentiments here will resonate with you and motivate you to make any size donation to Hero Labradors because if you do, you will enable Chuck to continue his mission of providing military veterans (like me) and other first responders with incredibly high quality, purpose-bred service animals to improve our quality of lives as we deal with invisible war wounds. Because of my Hero Labrador, Rawly-Odie, I have been able to leave my house without fear of being sexually assaulted again, and if I am triggered by unpleasant automatic thoughts, he is right there next to me to offer me comfort and help distract me from my powerful mind. I've attached some photos of Rawly-Odie for you, so you can see just how healthy of a dog Hero Labradors produces.
I have had the honor of raising 3 Hero Labradors. I can't say enough about this organization and the quality of care they put into their dogs. From even before the puppies are born Hero Labradors sends updates and posts about how they and mother dog are doing. After the puppies are born round the clock care is put in until the day they are personally delivered by Chuck and his family. Hero Labradors is making a huge difference in the lives of the people these outstanding dogs are paired with. I am proud to say I have seen this first hand!
Hero Labradors produces exceptional dogs for wounded veterans. I was lucky enough to raise one of Chucks puppies.
A wonderful man - with an even greater heart, Hero labradors is truly changing the world.
Chuck Z is exactly the sort of person you want to donate money to… he treats every penny as if he earned it himself doing hard labor. Honest to a fault,frugal, and very resourceful describes Chuck to a T. I can think of no better cause to support than getting puppies bred who will one day be service dogs to first responders.
Hero Labradors is an amazing organization that provides Labrador retrie ers to various nonprofits who in turn train these dogs to be future Service dogs for veterans and first responders.
I served with Chuck in the Army, after he retired, most retirees would take some time to relax, maybe take up golf or some other hobby, but not Chuck. A true labor of love for his fellow Veterans, Chuck dedicated himself to breeding service dogs for his fellow Veterans that need a helping paw, a gentle nudge, a four legged battle buddy to help them get the day.
Previous Stories
Hero Labradors is a great organization that helps provide service dogs for Veterans. The owner and founder is a wounded warrior himself. Vets helping Vets.
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be rememberèd—
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me, Shall be my brother;
This is a wonderful non-profit. I have been donating to them since the beginning. They work so hard to bring solidly bred service dogs into the world. Breeding is incredibly important for the success of the dogs and the veterans who need them. There is so much love and attention given to these wonderful dogs. These dogs then go on to enrich the lives of those who have defended us.
I’ve raised 3 Hero Labs to be service dogs. They are amazing English labs and so smart with great temperament to be of service dog caliber. Chuck does a great job with these pups - and he travels many miles to personally deliver his pups to their destined organizations.
Previous Stories
Chuck is retired Army with PTSD and he raises English labs that are purpose bred for service dogs that go to our military and first responders- for FREE! Not only does he breed them but he delivers all his puppies to the organizations where they will be trained. He leaves his home in Tx with a loaded van and travels all the way to Fl, VA, TN and sometimes Iowa and NY. What he does is amazing - and so are his dogs. I would recommend his non-profit for any 5 star award!
My service dog is a Hero Labrador. He has changed my life. He is attentive, always there and oh so smart, which is a direct result of his great lineage. Thank you Hero Labradors, for my special guy.
I am working with a lab named Colt from Hero Labradors. This dog is amazing, his calm, attentave temperament make training fun. He is also very sweet, confident and cuddly. Hands down the best dog I've worked with.
I have followed Chuck from his days at war in Iraq. He is a great leader and a wonderful human being. His charity, Hero Labradors, is a natural outgrowth of his experiences. He raises and donates puppies that he could sell for big bucks, they are that good. Every puppy is given personal attention and go on to serve and support Veterans who need a service dog. A great place to donate for a great cause.
Chuck Z is one of "those guys" who saw a need and decided to meet the need. As a disabled Army veteran with his own service dog, he realized that many veterans would never be able to afford a service dog b/c the cost was so significant -- and one of the largest contributing factors to that cost was the cost of acquiring the dog. Hero Labradors now has a successful breeding program that DONATES pure bred Labrador Retrievers to organizations that train them as service dogs for veterans and other First Responders. A truly noble cause and worthy charity.
I met Chuck and Carren Ziegenfuss when I was volunteering with the wounded, and Chuck was at Walter Reade recuperating from wounds he received in Iraq. The Labrador Retriever he had as a service animal was integral to his recovery. After retiring, Chuck decided that breeding labs as service dogs would be a worthwhile endeavor. I am proud to serve as a board member, and help Chuck and Carren provide labrador retrievers as service dogs to help veterans and first responders cope with the recovery process from the effects of their wounds.
Previous Stories
Hero Labradors is amazing, simply put. I have had the honor of fostering/training Hero pups over the past year for an organization that receives these amazing dogs. Hero labs are incredibly intelligent, calm, easily trained, and have some of the best personalities I’ve ever seen in a lab. Chuck has identified and is responsibly breeding a line of labs that are perfectly suited to be a service animal. A quality lab can cost a small fortune yet Hero labs are donated to training organizations that provide these life savers to Veterans in need at NO cost! I cannot think of a better organization to support.
A tremendous organization that stays true to its mission and offers complete transparency. Breeding and raising high-quality puppies to be trained as service dogs for wounded warriors is hard and expensive. All of the donations go to this mission and the group posts it’s costs so you know exactly what you’re helping provide. They also donate the puppies to organizations that do the formal service dog training, saving those groups a lot of money. Hero Labradors also posts tons of videos and a live cam of the puppies so you can watch their development and fall in love with their silly antics. This organization is absolutely worth your donations!
We are currently fostering "Jenny" , a 5 1/2 month old Yellow Labrador from Hero Labradors, as part of partnership they have with Leashes of Valor, a Service Dog trainer and provider in Virginia. Jenny is one of the sweetest, calm-tempered dogs, we have ever been around. We have been fostering her since she was 10 weeks old. Chuck has done an awesome job raising these puppies and we can only hope that Jenny will continue to grow into an amazing Service for Leashes when she gets older...
Hero Labradors and their staff provides 4-legged balls of joy to us in our quest to help veterans. Top quality dispositions and physical features make them a great addition to our mission.
HL Always puts the dogs first, and in turn helps us to make a difference in the lives of veterans that we serve and their families.
I have personally known Chuck for several years and have witnessed his dedication to this cause. Being a veteran who has a service animal, this cause is very personal to him. He works tirelessly to ensure that the maximum of every dollar donated is used for the good of the charity. Countless veterans and 1st responders have benefitted from this organization and the work Chuck continues to do. I personally donate several times a year without hesitation. This is an amazing cause run by a man of the highest integrity.
I have been fostering and training Hero Labs for two years and have interacted with well over a dozen from various litters. Their breeding is exceptional structurally and based on their temperament and overall intelligence. The owner takes incredible care of their health and imprinting prior to handing them to their service organizations. The puppies are outgoing and self confident and prepared to learn.
I am forever linked and grateful to Hero Labradors through my service dog Hawkeye. He has had such a huge impact on my life that its hard to imagine life without him. His temperament, personality, and performance of trained tasks for my disabilities exceeded my hopes and expectations.
I can not say enough about this organization and the work they do in providing at no cost future service animals for organizations to train.
This is a good organization that does great things for programs that support our veterans and first responders! They truly care about their dogs and go above and beyond to try to make sure their dogs are healthy and happy.
One of the best! Non-Profit operated by a Wounded Warrior, who wants nothing more than to give back to his fellow Wounded Warriors! One of the best Non-Profit organizations I've had the pleasure of being involved with.
Hero Labradors is a fantastic organization that breeds labs for use as service dogs. HL maintains health records on the parents, and does extensive checks to prevent any defects in the puppies. Puppies are donated without charge to organizations that will train them to serve veterans and others who need the help of a service dog. The dogs receive great care and are fully vetted before moving on, again without any costs of breeding or raising the puppies passed on to trainers or the eventual recipient of the dog.
HL is also fully transparent about their finances and use only a very small portion of donated funds for things like promotion and transportation.
Hero Labradors is top of the line in care and quality of the dogs. And people. You know that Hero Labs does this not as a job, but for the love of the communities they serve, and because the love of the dogs! Communication with the president is prompt and complete. Best way I can describe it -- remember when customer service was the utmost quality and concern? Such a nice group to work with, and highly recommend!
Hero Labradors is a well run nonprofit that is helping our veterans and first responders by breeding and providing future services dogs.
To make this short and sweet you just have to meet chuck and his family and you'll understand why they provide fantastic dogs to other nonprofits in need. It's always been a hope of mine to link up with a quality person like Chuck and help him see his vision become a reality for someone in need. Thank you for your service and dedication and for all you do across this great nation.
Hero Labradors is a great charity to support, the organization is run by Chuck Z. Chuck is a veteran who was wounded in the service of our great Nation. His organization raises puppies that will be trained as service dogs for veterans. 100% of our donation goes to operations, no paid employees all volunteers! How much more All American can you get than a puppy, raised by a wounded warrior who is going to help a veteran!
This is a wonderful organization that does so much to assist veterans, and one of the few which I donate to on a regular basis. I am confident that my donations are making a real difference. The dogs are bred with the perfect temperament to become valuable service dogs. They are provided at no charge to the recipient. What a life changing gift! I will continue to donate regularly and I hope you do too!
Hero Labradors has a simple,straightforward mission.To provide top quality
puppies to trainers who will mold the dogs into service animals for veterans.
Chuck Ziegenfuss,a veteran himself, recognized the need and took on the job.
He takes no salary and hustles for every dollar Hero Labradors takes in. He is
well organized, efficient and downright thrifty when it comes to managing all
he is given by those of us who support his work.
I am proud to back Hero Labradors.
I love watching Chuck’s videos with his labs! But many people may not realize it, Chuck is a hero in real life! And he is a Veteran! So I can’t think of a better person to receive donations for his Hero Labradors!
I have known Chuck since college and got to see him with his first service dog, he is great with the dogs and has such a passion for wounded veterans! This is a wonderful organization! I pray it continues to grow and help many more!
Hero Labradors is doing an amazing job in breeding and donating qualified dogs to be trained as service animals for those in need. Founder Chuck Ziegenfuss knows first hand how important this is for those with disabilities, enabling them to live a more normal life and do the things that most people take for granted. If you're looking for a charity that fills a gap, helps those in need, and spends donations wisely, I highly recommend Hero Labradors.
Chuck is doing a hell of a job training his Hero Labradors. He has put an enormous amount of work into the facilities and used one of his dogs during the Hurricane Harvey disaster in Beaumont, Texas. I believe that Chuck Ziegenfuss is more than deserving for all the hard work and dedication he has put into training service dogs for those in need.