Semper K9 Assistance Dogs

They do wonderful work with rescue dogs and veterans. Mostly run by volunteers. So happy to be part of this organization

I found this organization online over 4 years ago. I followed all the instructions, getting letters from my VA doctors, submitting all requested documents, etc. and application. Covid came into play and delayed the process. This professional organization kept me in the loop, and I got to go and train with my Battle Buddy twice and graduated as a team. There was absolutely no cost to me as it was funded completely by donations. It was a long process, that has changed my life considerably. Chappy is totally dedicated to me and my well-being. I was the first Viet Nam veteran to be placed with a dog by these wonderful folks.

I recently learned about this organization but everything I’ve seen makes me want to support it as much as I can. Everyone is so wonderful!

My family absolutely loves volunteering for SemperK9. We get so much joy working with the dogs and then ultimately seeing how they change the lives of veterans. It is an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. We are so thankful to SemperK9 for providing this for us.

I have been volunteering with Semper K9 for about a year now. They are such an amazing organization and a lot they do really goes unrecognized. It goes so far beyond just training service dogs. The amount of love, time, and commitment that every single member of the Semper K9 community is incredibly emense. I am overwhelmingly thankful to be a part of such an amazing mission.

I am a Team Semper K9 member for the Marine Corps Marathon and I love working with the people at this organization. Very professional and fun! Have had the honor of meeting some of the veterans Semper K9 serves over the past several years and they all have great things to say about everyone at Semper K9! Great group!!!

Semper K9 Assistance Dogs have been a life saver. Excellent service, what an amazing group they're are, I am so gratefull to cross path with them. I can only say WOW!, you guys are the best! Thank you for everything.
Sirlen

Semper K-9 is a wonderful organization that helps helps train dogs belonging to Veterans.

The training provided was thorough and the staff were very professional and friendly. Our dog Javy is trained to be a PTSD service dog for me as well as AKC Good Citizens Dog thanks to Semper K-9.

Thank you so much Chris, Angela, and Eliza

Semper K9 has been an exceptional organization. Chris helped train and certify by service animal in 2020. This training has helped me travel without crippling anxiety and improved my sleep significantly. The dog is amazing and everywhere we travel, he gets compliments on his behavior...even on the golf course! Thank you Semper K9 and you truly are a great non-profit!

Semper K9 is a great organization and really improved my life and my family's life. My dog, Phantom, has been a tremendous help to me physically and emotionally and has become a great addition to our household. Kris and everyone at Semper K9 really worked with me through the whole process of learning to work and maintain a service dog and continue to assist me whenever I have questions or problems. They also provide access to a whole community that supports veterans and their families.

Semper K9 Assistance Dogs is an amazing organization that assists veterans in either placing a dog with the veteran or training the veteran’s dog to assist them with their individual needs. Chris and his team have been wonderful to work with! They will work with a veteran’s schedule and are very understanding when issues arise with veterans. I personally have had some medical challenges and Chris and his team have gone above and beyond to assist me. I have gained valuable knowledge and training from this organization.
Semper K9 is an outstanding organization that I would recommend to my fellow veterans in need of assistance.

As a veteran that has struggled after retirement, Chris and his staff at Semper K9 always put the veteran first. No matter what the situation, that is needed to assist the veteran in a better life. I am so glad that there are groups out there to provide high-quality training and services dogs for those in needs. Look forward in the future for them to continue and grow.

Semper K9's mission speaks to me in many ways. To take a dog from shelter/donated to become a life support to a service member is beyond words. To bring hope, peace and desire to live again is truly something that is priceless. I appreciate the time, energy, quality, and sacrifice every in this organization does . Thank you Semper K9

A very helpful organization. Everyone is involved from adults to children in helping the dogs learn to be service animals. Training from A to Z is covered, doggie first aid to how to handle almost every situation whether in public or private. The leadership is very knowledgeable and will go out of their way to research if they don't have an answer. They are a young nonprofit but are wise beyond their years. Proud to be a helpful hand to them when they need it.

Absolutely best organization! They do great work for both the animals and the veterans.

Semper K9 saves lives. I know that first hand because my husband received a service dog from this Amazing program. Our lives have been changed forever in a positive way and I'm thankful to have a partner to do life with again! Thank you Chris & Angela & Eliza and the whole team.

This group is working so hard around the clock despite COVID. So proud of them and the work they do!

I read about Semper K9 in the newspaper in May 2016 and signed up to volunteer right away. Chris and Amanda are genuine, sincere, and put 1000% into serving our veterans. Chris has such an amazing way with dogs, and teaches the volunteer coaches how to train the dogs to help their veterans. Amanda is the director of operations and runs everything behind the scenes. From the volunteers who train dogs and/or help at events, to the Board of Advisors (where I serve), to the founders, Chris and Amanda, you won't find a better group of people who work together to train the best assistance dogs. I am so proud of this organization and all the good they do for our veterans!

My husband received training from Semper K9 to have our family pet trained to be his service dog. Our family dog was already bonded with him and when we discussed adding a service dog into our family it just wasn't an option for us. Fortunately, we were referred by our medical team to Semper K9. Angela was the first person we encountered there and she was absolutely wonderful.

Chris was who we worked with most and he made my husband so comfortable and he actually looked forward to coming to training which was surprising because I thought he would despise it. Chris is so knowledgeable and patient. Have never met someone so passionate about helping veterans and truly wishing for them to succeed.

Thank you for changing our lives so positively!

This organization is all about the basics; hard work, dedication and love. The hard work starts from the top down. The founders, Chris and Amanda are in this 24/7. Whatever it takes to make sure our Veterans in need can find the support they need in a trained service dog. This leadership leads to the tireless dedication of the volunteers. The endless hours put into training, fundraising and public outreach by the volunteers is heartwarming. To say watching a puppy grow into a fully trained service dog and graduate with their Veteran is a heartwarming experience is an understatement.
The love each volunteer has for the dogs as they watch them graduate and start their life loving and supporting their veteran brings me to tears at each graduation. I leave with a full heart knowing I played a small part in a big production that gave a deserving veteran a better quality of life.

This is a great organization run mostly by volunteers. Taking rescue dogs and turning them into service dogs. I have been working as a part time trainer and have meet great people and dogs.

This is a great organization working to support our veterans and save pups along the way. The unpaid trainers incorporate the service dogs into their families and everyday lives to give the dogs as many experiences as possible before pairing them with their veteran for service. They also educate the public on service dogs as part of their mission.

I have been a volunteer with this organization for over 3 years. I enjoy working with so many liked minded individuals who have a passion for both dogs and the servicemen who have helped keep this country safe. I have been given all the resources and help I need to learn how to become an effective K9 coach. It has been a great organization to volunteer for and the friends that I have made volunteering will last a life time. I have also like all the doggy kisses I have received over the years.

I volunteered as a dog coach with Semper K9, and it was an extremely rewarding experience. The staff is warm and inviting, and they make you feel like family. Such a great organization that is truly making a difference in the NoVA area, and I’m so exciting to watch Semper K9 grow even more with their Camp that is currently underway!

I met a group from Semper K9 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps earlier this year. Got to talk to the founders and I was impressed with what I saw. Fast-forward to last week and I ran into Mrs. Baity at another local event and she remembered me AND my dog's name. I love how connected this group is with the community and the fact that I was remembered tells me they are connected with the people they are serving.

Their volunteers looked so happy and everyone seemed to be having a great time showing the public what service dogs are for and how they are trained. All the photos I see shared on social media also reflect the love that flows from this group. Proud to say that I am a supporter and will be for a long time! Semper Fi!

Chris Baity is an excellent trainer for pups, coaches learning to train pups, veterans learning to handle a service dog as well as maintaining an already graduated dog to beat peak performance. This requires working with a wide range of personalities with various skills. His ability to work with everyone is amazing, especially his endurance. Amanda Baity, his wife, puts her heart and soul into daily keeping up the organizational and administrative part of Semper K9. Making a commitment to their non profit organization which gives service dogs to veterans in need, free of charge, is a wonderful way to "give back". LKA

Semper K9 Assistance Dogs is an amazing program with a mission of helping veterans and as an associated benefit rescues shelter dogs.
This dual-fold purpose brought us to volunteer with this organization in 2016 and we have now been privileged to be coaches for two dogs that have since graduated. Seeing how a service dog benefits a veteran is both dramatic and heart-warming. Chris and Amanda both care deeply about veterans and growing this organization to help as many veterans possible. Their mentoring of coaches to train the dogs exemplifies the skill of both Chris and Amanda to achieve results for the organization. Chris works to ensure that each dog reaches its full potential so as to best assist the veteran in their lives.

I made a small donation to this organization in memory of a loved one who had passed and I got a handwritten card from the founder! Love that personal touch and I will be a donor for life to this amazing organization with such a worthy cause. The acknowledgment that was sent to the spouse of my loved one was equally impressive. Thank you so much for all you do to assist our brave servicemen and women!

As the daughter of two veterans, granddaughter of two veterans, wife of an active duty soldier, and a veteran myself, Semper K9’s mission is near and dear to my heart! I’ve been with them almost a year now and they are such an amazing group of selfless people to work with. They are giving veterans with disabilities their lives back and rescuing dogs in the process. What’s not to love! Keep up the great work!

I started volunteering for Semper K9 in October 2018. There are many ways to help with this organization and the other volunteers are very welcoming. Seeing the positive impact these dogs have with their veterans and families solidifies what a worthy cause it is.

Becoming a volunteer with Semper K9 Assistance Dogs has been an enrichment to my family’s lives! We’ve made so many new friends while helping to provide service dogs to veterans. It has been very fulfilling to meet the people our dogs help, but the journey training the dogs is also an amazing experience. The founders are down to earth, hardworking, real people, doing a real service to the community.

I could not help but jump "all in" when I learned about this organization. How can you not want to help dogs and veterans? I've heard the success stories. I plan on supporting them in any way I can.

Having watched Semperk9 grow from the very beginning, I can testify to the hard work and dedication that the founders have put into this organization. I am amazed every day at the selfless effort the volunteers and supporters have poured into Semperk9 and am thrilled to see the positive results for the veterans they serve.

We are so proud to be a part of Semper K9 as a coach family. We have been welcomed so warmly, meet a bunch of great people, and love working with the dogs. We are very excited to be able to help give back to the Veterans who selflessly served our country. We are also thankful for the all the life lessons that our children will receive by being part of such a phenomenal group and mission.

The moment I met a veteran with his service dog from Semper K9, I fell in love with the mission. Shortly after that I signed up to help “here and there” and ended up having so much inspiration from Amanda and Chris that I ended up being their fundraising coordinator. It is truly a blessing to spend a lot weekends with my Semper K9 family out in the community sharing love and hope.

Sometimes it's hard in the Veteran world to truly make life saving impact. Semper K9 Assistance Dogs has found a way to do just that. The dogs are only one small part of it. When you become a part of Semper K9, you join a family that is ready in everyway to make you apart of their mission. Semper K9's pups save lives and Semper K9's people change lives.

I have no words for how incredible this organization and its member are. When my mom came home from Charming Charlie's a year ago and couldn't stop talking about a service dog she had met and the story of the organization, I knew that it would absolutely deserve some of my family's time and money. What I didn't realize was how committed this huge extended family of people was to changing the lives of veterans through service dogs and just how much a part of that family my own family would become. We first watched over a dog named Kiernan during a period of time when her veteran was very busy with family obligations/a cross-country move. She came into our house and changed our lives, and it was at this point that my mom realized just how much she wanted to be a proponent of the work Semper K9 does. Even my dad, who isn't a big snuggle person or dog lover for any dogs beside our own grew to love Kiernan and the mission of this organization. Countless fundraisers, training classes, down and waits, and one very special German Shepard puppy named Chuck later, my entire family is involved in Semper K9 training. It goes beyond that though - dog people are special people, but dog people who care about a mission of helping other people who have served our nation are unfathomably rare and it seems that they have all ended up under Chris and Amanda's wings, making a difference one pup and veteran at a time.

I only started working with Semper K9 last year. I have met some really amazing people and dogs. The founders are wonderful people. I help when I can and they don’t make you sign up for a certain amount of time they just want the volunteers to help when they can. I am greatful to have met these wonderful people

Terrific organization. I attended graduation ceremony and was so touched hearing the stories from the veterans this organization helped with these dogs. I see firsthand as my neighbor trains her service dog and then the service dog with their veteran, helping them in their life. What a wonderful gift this organization gives.

I can not say enough good things about this organization. Very well put together and organized. They do a wonderful job of training and placing dogs.

I was introduced to Semper K-9 through my friend and neighbor who was fostering a Semper K-9 assistance puppy. I also had the opportunity to attend the most recent graduation of the service dogs . Such an amazing experience! You could tell that each veteran had a dog that was best matched to them that fit his/her personality. The bond of love between the veteran and the dogs was so evident. As the veterans told their stories it was emotional however it is so inspirational. The power that these dogs had to ease the suffering after the veterans returned home from overseas was awesome. Semper K-9, their volunteers, Amanda and Chris, all are doing such a beautiful thing for both the dogs and their veterans. The gift of a dog to a family, trained by Chris and his support team, is such an incredible thank you to those that served our country. I was able to see first hand some of the training that the volunteers and Chris's team does with the puppies. It is first class - the dogs are molded into the working dogs they need to become. It is such an amazing opportunity to see the journey, be a part of it, and hear the success stories and how these dogs have changed and saved lives. -Melissa Schmelzer

My husband George and I adopted 2 Pitbull puppies that were abandoned and the mother had died. When my husband talked to his internist, she said he should have a service dog. George was in the Gulf War and 16 years in the Marine Corps. He struggles with daily with a wide range of problems.

We took the puppies at 6 months of age to Chris and began the long journey of training, thinking neither would work out. We were wrong! Both dogs graduated and Layla who is George's primary dog is now on a flight to Chicago with him. She has flown to numerous states and goes to work with him every day. Semper K9 is a genuinely caring and professional organization. Chris has extensive years working with dogs of all kinds including in combat.

George and I highly recommend Semper K9!

I had the amazing opportunity to foster Vegas while he was with Operation Paws for Homes. He was slated to be adopted but that fell through. Chris (founder of Semper K9) came out to my house to evaluate him for a chance to be a service dog. While Vegas won't graduate for some time, he is destined for greatness. Coming from a family with a lot of military background, I am proud to say I got to be a small part of Semper K9's mission.

Semper K9 is doing great things for dogs and Veterans! They know that just because a dog ends up in a shelter or rescue, it doesn't mean that the dog is broken or has no value. Thank you Semper K9 for giving these dogs a chance to service some of the greatest people out there, our Veterans!

Such a great service to our veterans and to rescue dogs.
I love that they offer fun events to the community to get out their message.

I love Semper K9's concept of shelter to service. It is important to me that the general public is able to see that shelter dogs are not damaged- many are just misunderstood. Many are destined for greatness if just given the chance. Semper gives many dogs that chance. These dogs go on the help veterans that have paid a steep price for their service, many battling PTSD and mobility issues. They absolutely deserve the support that Semper K9 provides. Essentially saving a dog and a veteran. Keep up the great work!

Semper K9 is a 501C non-profit that is veteran run. What I find remarkable is that this non-profit remains humble, yet completely focused on its commitments. Everyone affiliated with the group, from organizational leader to the veteran and their families, along with volunteers, are included to make the best outcome possible for the handler/dog team. There is great respect for all participants, from the top, to include the board of directors, coaches and volunteers to even the family members of volunteers and veterans, who often work side by side. The committments set out by Semper K9 are reached in a timely matter, fulfilling all expectations; doing so in a fun, relaxed (though committed) way. But ultimately, the goal is reached... a shelter or donated dog is trained to provide a service that will enhance or even "give back a new life" to a veteran who has been given a service dog free of charge.

I met some reps from Semper K9 2 years ago and have been following them on social media since. I recently ran into the same people at another event and they remembered me! I feel like I know the founders and the dogs based on what is shared online and from what I have encountered what you see if what you get. I feel everyone involved is so authentic and really gives 100% to this mission. Love having them so close to my home!

The way Semper K9 give 100 % to help others inspires me. I love that the dogs they use are rescue dogs, and that through their organization and the efforts of a volunteer crew, they are able to supply a veteran in need with the service dog suited to them.

I'm thankful that this organization provides services to veterans at no cost, and they incorporate the family into the process. The volunteers I have met were extremely professional and knowledgeable. There needs to me more non-profit around the world providing these services to our troops!
Semper Fidelis

SemperK9 is an amazing program filled with a kind and compassionate crew of tireless volunteers. When my daughter wanted to get involved I was hesitant at first but after all that I have learned about how they train and place their dogs with the right veterans, I have no doubt about the awesome organization we have joined!

As a volunteer and a K9 Coach I have been able to see first hand the way Chris Baity is changing the lives of others through use of donated and shelter dogs. His work benefits everyone involved with the Semper K9 organization; from the occasional volunteer, K9 coach, dog, and veteran''s family all the way to the veteran. As there is no charge to the recepient for the receiving of a service dog or for continued maintenance training, is imperative that this organization receive donations to further its mission. Semper K9 is truly thankful for all donations received.

Our family has been associated with Semper K9 Assistance Dogs for a year. We have seen first hand how the hard work of everyone in this organization, especially Chris and Amanda, positively changes the lives of Veterans. By rescuing and training services dogs they give Veterans their lives back. It is an honor to be a part of this amazing organization and something our entire family can be a part of.

Chris and Amanda have the biggest hearts of anyone I know. They truly care about veterans and their families AND the dogs they rescue and train for veterans. I love that the dogs choose their veterans so they make a great match!

Semper K9 is a partner member of Northern Virginia Veterans Association. We vet all of our partners and are proud to have Semper K9 as not only a supporter of our mission but as an advocate for all veterans. We know they deliver and provide quality and custom trained service dogs to service members in need.

It's easy to say that you support our troops; do you actually DO something to support them? My daughter and I have been volunteers/K9 coaches/students of Semper K9 since August of 2016. This is a nonprofit organization that takes rescued/donated dogs and trains them to become service dogs (mobility/psychiatric alert) for veterans. We do this in honor or my son's service in the USMC and this organization has made us feel part of a family.

I am a veteran who has gotten a dog. GREAT organization committed to helping veterans.