BJ, Sierra Delta — Кассета

Summary Sherry interviews BJ Ganem, founder of Sierra Delta, a national nonprofit that helps veterans build purposeful relationships with dogs through individualized training plans, grants, and a veteran community. Ganem explains why Sierra Delta gives veterans agency to choose their goals and trainers, and argues that meaningful support should create opportunities for service rather than impose a one-size-fits-all model. Sierra Delta’s Life Buddy program offers veterans up to $3,500 toward professional dog training aligned with their individual needs and goals. Veterans choose their dog, trainer, and training objectives, from everyday manners and emotional support to scent work, herding, sports, or service tasks. A four-week cohort helps veterans assess their lives and dogs, explore training options, interview trainers, and develop a plan for review and funding. Life Force invites veterans to mentor peers, host local meetups, and help grow a community rooted in continued service. Ganem says broad access and veteran choice matter because rigid eligibility and one-size-fits-all programs can leave people feeling rejected or stripped of agency. He shares his experience of combat injury, a below-knee amputation, retained shrapnel, and an eight-year process to reach a 100% disability rating. Ganem describes dog training as a relationship and routine that support both the handler and the dog, rather than treating a dog as a medical device. The conversation explores ways trained dogs and veteran networks could serve local communities, including search support, shelter visits, and companionship in veterans’ homes. Ganem outlines Sierra Delta’s fundraising needs and invites donors, sponsors, trainers, and volunteers to help expand its reach.