Aaron is an Army Veteran in North Carolina with 14 years of service. He was paired with CTM Walker in 2018. Aaron learned about CTM through his doctor at the Sanford VA Clinic who brought up the possibility of getting an Assistance Dog through CTM in one of their sessions together. After connecting with CTM, Aaron said everything fell into …
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Cortney Owens
Cortney Owens is CTM’s Service Dog Consultant and Trainer. Cortney has always been a dog lover – at the age of five she was training all the neighbors’ dogs in her front yard! She worked in a veterinarian office as a teen and earned her first training job there. Professionally, Cortney has over 16 years of dog training experience, to …
Thank You Paws and Putts Sponsors!
Though we have had to postpone our Annual Paws and Putts golf tournament we wanted to make sure that our generous hole sponsors and donors know just how much we appreciate them! Hole Sponsors Aberdeen Exterminating Bella Spa & Nails Bevitt Defense Central Security/Sandhills Home Theater Laurie Conaty Elliott’s Provision Company Exhale…a salon FPC National Gentle Renew Ronald Herzog Ironwood …
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Robert Lutz
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 …
PTSD: A Brief Lesson
Written by Felix Blumhardt, PhD, LCSW Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a health problem that affects many of our Veterans and their families. Until recently, the science around PTSD was not understood well. As a result, PTSD has been somewhat of a mystery, a mystery that has been enhanced through media and supported through our cultural norms. Let’s dispel what …
PEDRO’S VOICE
Written by CTM Volunteer, Nathan Witkin, age 9 When Miss Suzy picked me up from the breeder I was overjoyed. I’ve been crowded with my littermate my whole life (all seven weeks). I’m glad she chose me so I could help a Veteran. I’ve always wanted to help out. She took me to her house with many dogs to play and …
“A Veteran’s Mission to Help Others Heal”
Excerpt from this Davidson article. “Suzy Lutz founded “Continuing the Mission” in 2016 to help returning veterans with PTSD. Robert Lutz serves as medical director of the all-volunteer non-profit. Soldiers returning home may find themselves in a society that doesn’t understand—and in some cases seems oblivious to—the ongoing war. Many have post-traumatic stress and, away from their fellow soldiers and …
“Students Support Therapy Dogs for Veterans”
Excerpt from this Sandhill Sentinel article. “The fourth grade students at The O’Neal School are required to complete a service learning project. This year the students decided to sponsor two puppies for Continuing the Mission. Their goal was to collect the supplies needed to train the puppies. On Wednesday, they got to meet those puppies, Cooper and Willow. Continuing the …
“The Therapist Has a Fuzzy Face”
Excerpt from this The Pilot article. “Lutz serves as executive director of Continuing the Mission, a local nonprofit begun last year to train service dogs and then pair them with local veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The concept behind Continuing the Mission (CTM) rose out of Lutz’s desire to give back to the military community after her own …