Robert is CTM’s Medical Director and is responsible for establishing criteria, reviewing candidates, and providing input on need and sustainability for an assistance dog. As he was working toward retirement from the Army, his wife Suzy, CTM’s Executive Director, was looking for ways to remain involved with the Veteran community.
After seeing the impact of a service dog on a woman whose active duty husband died, CTM’s mission to change the lives of Veterans through assistance dogs was born. As he transitioned into retirement, Robert joined his wife to develop CTM. Robert and Suzy trained their dogs together in obedience and have competed, but prior to joining CTM, he had minimal experience with assistance dogs, other than the personal comfort provided by their dog Lilly (pictured).
Robert finds many aspects of his work with CTM fulfilling, but first and foremost, is seeing the effect that CTM dogs have on the lives of our Veterans. Additionally, Robert appreciates relationships built and community among Veterans and non-veterans alike. He believes that “throughout the process, we raise awareness for injuries that are not visible, yet have a daily effect on Veteran lives. Non-veteran community participation in the care, raising, and training of our dogs sends a strong message to the recipients of CTM dogs that there are citizens in our country who care about their service, and are willing to emotionally and financially invest in their recovery.”
Robert is driven by seeing the positive impact of a CTM assistance dog on the life of one of his own Veteran patients, and it pushes him to continue contributing to the goal of touching as many lives as possible as CTM “passes the leash” of assistance dogs through the community to support Veterans living with the challenges of PTSD.