Raising Riggs: Military and first responders receive service dogs during K9 Elite banquet

Meeting Riggs for the first time during the K9 Elite annual banquet Saturday evening, Dan Fong was looking forward to having his yellow lab puppy fully trained and doing its job, a service dog to ease the trauma of being a longtime first responder.

“A first responder can have hundreds, if not thousands, of critical incidents,” said Fong, who has had a long career as a firefighter and EMT. “It’s sort of that ongoing, compounding trauma over time. You’ll have those accidents that stick out in your mind, and then you’ll just have that everyday stuff that kind of builds up. Because, you know, your day-to-day job is you consistently experience everyone else’s worst day of their life.”

K9 Elite is a Wyoming-based foundation striving to give back to service men and women who struggle with PTSD or trauma while serving the country or their community.

“I myself didn’t serve, but all my family did, and I wanted to find a way I could give back,” said Wes Mangus, founder of the charity.

As a dog trainer who has both been around kennels and vets and first responders, he decided he wanted to get service animals for those in need. However, training a service animal takes a lot of time, and they can be quite expensive. Mangus wanted the folks who served our country not to pay for their service dogs. 

“They’ve already paid enough, right? So I wanted to find a way to be able to get these dogs to these folks for free. But as we both know, nothing’s free, so I decided four years ago to establish K9 Elite Run and banquet,” he said. 

They brought in $50,000 in their first year. Now, in the fourth year, donors have more than tripled that amount. 

“Whatever we raise tonight, we’ll use it to pay for all of next year’s dogs, all the training, the dogs themselves, the vests, whatever materials they need,” Mangus said.

Fong had been searching for the right combination of therapy to deal with his trauma. He and his wife Kristen first enrolled in Downrange Warriors, a group serving military veterans and first responders searching for the fighting to cease once they come home. They graduated from the therapy program and give it credit for saving the family.

“It’s not an understatement to say it saved my life,” Fong said. “It saved our marriage, and it saved our family. It’s been incredibly helpful in trauma recovery and just getting our life back.”

They graduated from the program, going through couples therapy with several others, including Park County Sheriff Darrell Steward and his wife Lynn. Having leaders enrolled in the course was huge for Fong as he deals with the stigma of mental health treatment.

“It’s huge to have someone like the sheriff as a leader of a first response agency understand mental health like he does,” Fong said.

He keeps his mental health issues close to the vest and still feels vulnerable despite his and Kristen’s graduation from the program. They are both hoping the young pup will grow into a loving service animal that will be there for Dan when needed. Yet, even walking into a store with his service dog makes Fong a little nervous.

“To walk into places and have a service dog with you is an outward sign of your inner challenges,” he said. “But I think we’re brave, so we can do it.”

Riggs will stay with the Fong family for the next six to eight months. Then he will be sent to K9 Elite in Lovell to be trained for service. The puppy will receive intense training for several months before being returned to the Fong family next year at the K9 Elite annual banquet.

Saturday night was also a reunion for Chris VanGoethem and his female lab Romie. They had been through the getting to know months when VanGoethem first received his puppy last year. Then she was taken to K9 Elite for certification training.

The Sacred Mountain Retreat Center seeks to honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s wounded, ill or injured veterans, first responders and Gold Star families. 

“We are a catalyst for positive change in the lives of these heroes, we help to eliminate the noise of everyday life and encourage healing through exposure to nature, alternative healing methods and open communication with our brothers and sisters in arms,” the organization stated in a public statement.

Romie was excited to see Chris and Katie VanGoethem, wiggling her tail wildly and wanting kisses. Seeing the instant smiles on Chris’ and Katie’s faces while they gave Romie praise was proof of a dog’s ability to instantly change your mood for the better.

Chris is a Marine in retirement after a life overseas fighting to protect America’s interests. Romie will be the first dog he has had, arriving at just the right moment.

“She’s fantastic. They’ve done a great job,” Katie said while watching her husband’s delight as Romie hung close. “Even before her training, she was already doing what she’s meant to do.”

Chris finished his duty in the service as a Marine security guard and capture commander. It took nearly a decade before he sought help for his mental health despite receiving treatment for several physical injuries immediately.

Romie picks up on emotions, Katie said, noting, “She knows when you’re having a rough day, and (responds) with touch and comfort.” 

While she spoke, Chris remained silent and Romie stayed glued to his side. You could tell that speaking about his many traumatic experiences wasn’t his favorite activity. But during the intensely personal interview, Chris constantly had his hands on Romie, scratching her behind the ears and praising her training.

“She’s been a godsend,” Katie said.

More than 300 people sat for a meal prepared by Northwest College caterers, a live auction and speeches during the banquet, many with their service dogs, one more beautiful than the next.

For more information or to donate to the K9 Elite program, go to tsk9wy.com.