The newest addition to the Washington Commander’s 2023 roster is full of fluff.
And that’s as it should be. The Commander’s Team Dog, Goldie, is a four-month-old English Yellow Lab who will be paired as a service dog with a veteran by K9s For Warriors after a season of skills training.
"After a thorough vetting process, our coaching staff was impressed with Goldie's tenacity and speed on the grass,” said Head Coach Ron Rivera in a statement. “She leaves it all on the field, whether she's fetching a tennis ball or treat. Goldie will bring paw-sitive energy and deep fetch expertise to our lineup and I am excited to welcome her to the team.”
Goldie was born in rural North Carolina and is the Commander’s second team dog, following in the footsteps of Mando, who joined the team for the 2022 NFL season.
Mando's tenure with the Commanders included visits to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Capitol Hill, and attendance at home games before going on to serve as a service dog for a veteran through K9s For Warriors.
K9s For Warriors provides highly trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma. A majority of the organization's dogs come from rescue shelters.
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Goldie is currently staying with a volunteer puppy raiser and learning basic skills. At some point between 10-14 months of age and after completing her season with the Commanders, she'll return to K9s For Warriors to complete training before being paired with a veteran.
The team's partnership with K9s For Warriors is spearheaded by the Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation. Since the partnership began last year, the foundation has donated $40,000 to K9s For Warriors and Rivera donated $25,000 that he received from being the recipient of the 12th annual NFL Salute to Service Award at NFL Honors.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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