Where SAE Meets Service

Supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) often begin at home, but at the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo, members discovered new possibilities for projects through a workshop that connects animal care to a purpose beyond a farm. It’s called the Warrior Canine Connection. 

Warrior Canine Connection is a non-profit organization that breeds, raises and trains golden and Labrador retrievers to become service dogs for disabled combat veterans. 

Through the workshops, members learned how animal care, communication and training are all important aspects of raising a service dog and how that can serve as an SAE. Members also learned how important the service dogs are to the recipients.

“It means everything to a lot of these veterans,” says Claire Metel, community engagement specialist at Warrior Canine Connection. “It sounds cliché to say, but these dogs really do save lives.” 

These workshops offered an opportunity to connect ag education to careers and services beyond production agriculture. 

Maddie Mae Peters of the Etowah FFA Chapter in Georgia, saw connections between the workshop and the lessons she’s learned in her veterinary science class. “The way that you have to communicate with animals and use your different skills and other applicable things to work with these animals definitely relates a lot to vet science” says Peters. 

The Urbana FFA Chapter in Maryland, has taken it a step further. It has an SAE service dog, Chappie, training in their classroom. 

“It changed my high school years. I wanted to start going to high school and it made me look forward to something every day,” says Urbana FFA member Leah Ogg.“It’s something to look forward to and he brings joy to everyone in the school.”Urbana FFA members are sure he will impact his forever veteran just the same.