A veteran-led wireless company has joined forces with the nation’s leading nonprofit that gives trained service dogs to veterans suffering from PTSD and other invisible wounds of war.
The collaboration between Pure Talk and K9s For Warriors was celebrated at a September graduation ceremony in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
During the ceremony, retired Marine Lt. Col. Greg Hartfelder officially graduated from the K9s For Warriors program with his new service dog, Mminto.
"I came here as a pessimist. I'd lost my career, my sense of purpose — everything that defined who I was," said Hartfelder. “The impact of K9s For Warriors is profound. These service dogs provide veterans with a renewed sense of life, instinctively responding when someone is struggling. The transformation they bring is truly remarkable."
The ceremony was attended by Medal of Honor recipient and PureTalk ambassador Clint Romesha, who helped celebrate the milestone and honor the transformative impact of the program.
"As a veteran who's been through tough battles both overseas and at home, I know words don't mean anything, actions do," said Romesha. "This isn't just about giving a dog to a warrior. This is about giving them their life back, helping them fight the invisible wounds we carry every single day. That's exactly why PureTalk, a veteran-led company, supports them: these are the values we live by too."
Chief K9s and Business Officer at K9s For Warriors, Wyatt Haynes, said the nonprofit pairs service dogs with veterans to help them reclaim their lives — empowering them to pursue long-held dreams, reengage with their communities and rebuild meaningful connections.
"Our nation's veterans have sacrificed so much and deserve the chance to heal. Through the incredible bond between warrior and service dog, our program helps make that possible. We're deeply grateful for PureTalk's partnership in supporting this life-changing mission."
To date, K9s For Warriors has paired more than 1,100 veterans with life-changing, fully trained service dogs and rescued more than 2,000 dogs.
PureTalk also supports veterans through initiatives like forgiving $10 million of veteran debt, raising over $500,000 for America's Warrior Partnership from both loyal PureTalk customers and company efforts, and contributing $150,000 to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation to help American workers build careers in hands-on jobs. PureTalk additionally offers a 20% discount to those actively serving or who have served the country.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.