In honor of Veterans Day - this Saturday - we take a closer look at a state-of-the-art facility being created for veterans, in northern Nevada.
Liberty Dogs broke ground in 2022, and by 2026 will be home to a service-dog training program that will welcome veterans from all over the United States - at no cost to them. The south Reno construction site is as busy as it is big - the future home of Liberty Dogs is a 27-acre campus. The mission just as large - providing a new level of independence for veterans by providing them with a professionally trained service dog.
"We'll focus on serving our Nevada veterans first,” explains Kyle Cory-Yaeggi, the CEO for Liberty Dogs, “But ultimately we're gonna be welcoming warriors from all across the United States, right here to Reno.”
Cory-Yaeggi shares renderings to show the scope of the project from the biggest buildings to the smallest details. "Those unique aspects that our architects and our builders are working on include a building that includes 20 residential suites, so all our veterans are here on site, training and finding their perfect match."
Each group of veterans will spend about two weeks with their new canine companion. While at Liberty Dogs everything is taken care of for them, for no charge. There are plenty of high-end amenities, as well. "Chefs and a gourmet kitchen to provide meals during that two-week stint and even a gym for them to be able to burn off some steam and relax while they're staying with us,” details Cory-Yaeggi. Plus, he tells us there will be a gathering room, a walking trail, rooms to simulate the veteran’s hone life and so much more.
As for the four-legged friends -
"Our dogs will be sourced from partnerships with shelters and rescues in our local community,” confirms Cory-Yaeggi, “And we'll also utilize purpose-breed dogs.”
Structures for the dogs will include training yards, a puppy viewing area, plus - "You'll notice three building are already vertical. One of them is our campus maintenance warehouse, the other one is our training kennel and the other one you see vertical is our veterinary clinic, to provide top class medical care to our dogs in training.”
Liberty Dogs also prioritizes hiring veterans; some are already employed on the job site and soon more opportunities will be available. Ultimately, the group will employ more than 100 people, full-time.
There is a lot to do before liberty dogs opens its doors. The project is big - and the goal is clear.
"We're not going to overlook the individual. So, the quality will not get lost on the wayside while we focus on really making a difference on a national scale for our veterans.”
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Liberty Dogs is funded by Nevada residents Dave and Cheryl Duffield. Their foundation focuses on supporting military veterans, animal causes, and giving back to their local community.
If you want to lay eyes on the project - it is a closed construction site - however, if you're driving in South Reno near I-580 and Damonte Ranch Parkway – the 27-acre project is hard to miss.
To learn more about Liberty Dogs and sign up for their quarterly newsletter, click link here –
