Who We Are
Improving lives, savings lives, one veteran and one dog at a time.
Founder & Board of Directors
Volunteer Professionals
We would be unable to accomplish our mission without the help of professionals who volunteer their time by helping to train our veterans and their service dogs.
Volunteer Professional Dog Trainer
Durham, N.C.
Clare Reece-Gore is a certified professional dog trainer through the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI #201401). She is the public access test administrator for Vets to Vets United.
Clare blends her insights from corporate training with those she's gained through years of experience with dogs, horses, and cats. Clare's approach draws from a broad range of experience, including her work with a veterinary clinic. She has also volunteered extensively at shelters, rescues, and service dog organizations.
Clare attends workshops with dog experts like Dr. Ian Dunbar, Dr. Sophia Yin (1966-2014), Jenn Shryock, and Kyra Sundance. A lifelong equestrian, Clare also regularly attends natural horsemanship clinics, which shapes her dog training insights in surprising and effective ways.
Volunteer Professional Dog Trainer
Raleigh, N.C.
Linda Lebron is a certified professional dog trainer and a certified service dog coach through Cooperative Paws.
Linda has always loved animals. During her life, she has trained her own dogs, cats, and horses. After a 20-year career in law enforcement and years as a certified personal trainer, she decided to pursue her true passion of becoming a dog trainer.
Linda conducts individual training sessions teaching basic obedience to adult dogs and puppies. She also conducts sessions for owners who wish to train their dogs to become service dogs. Linda works closely with the owner to determine if their pet dog is suitable to provide the assistance that the owner requires.
Linda regularly pursues continuing education and professional development because she believes that learning about dogs and training is a life-long pursuit.
Volunteer Professional Dog Trainer
Wake Forest, N.C.
Elaine Chevalier is a certified service dog coach and a certified professional dog trainer who works with people to train their pet dogs to assist them as a service dog.
She helps determine if the dog has the appropriate temperament and behavior for this type of work and the owner is dedicated to the effort. She has attended numerous workshops and seminars for psychiatric service dogs.
Elaine is also passionate about puppy training that leads to lifelong happiness for both owners and dogs. She uses AKC training guidelines and the ethical principles of positive training for all her family dog training clients.
Volunteer Professional Dog Trainer
Clayton, N.C.
Raechel Longo owns and manages Carolina Canine Advisor. She has loved all animals since she was a little girl. When she was 5 years old, she started by reading dog breed encyclopedias.
Raechel has over 10 years of experience in the pet industry ranging from doggy daycare, training, and boarding to working in a veterinary hospital. She was a kennel manager for a pet resort in the Chicagoland area for 4 years where she was responsible for the care of up to 400 dogs.
Raechel specializes in dog behavior and aggression, as well as special needs dogs. Creating strong relationships with dogs is what she does. Her goal is to rehabilitate all dogs that need help. She also provides basic obedience and works with all breeds and all ages.
She wants nothing more than for you and your dog to be able to trust her and feel completely happy while your pups are in her care.
Volunteer Professional Dog Trainer
Creedmor, N.C.
Linda Tilley has owned and operated Falls Lake Kennels Boarding & Obedience Training in Creedmoor, N.C., since 1987.
She began instructing group and private obedience classes in 1989. She became the originator and lead instructor for the Durham Parks & Recreation Obedience Classes (puppy, beginner & advanced beginner) for over 16 years (instructing over 2,500 owner/dog teams). She then returned home to instruct local dog obedience classes in the Butner/Creedmoor area, where she now offers Dog About Town group classes as well as private sessions.
She has been an active participant at the Granville County Animal Control Advisory Committee for a number of years. She has volunteered at the GC Animal Shelter for years, providing a foster home for dogs needing adoption both privately and for the local humane society.
Linda has been involved in therapy work with her own dogs through the years (Labrador, Sheltie, Poodle, and a Great Pyrenees/Lab mix). She has participated in numerous therapy and education sessions in local schools, nursing homes, institutions, Special Olympics, and the Masonic Home for Children Oxford.
Early on, she attended 6 days of seminars with Dr. Ian Dunbar, 1 day with Dr. Donna Brown, 2 days with Sue Sternberg, and 2 days with Chris Bach. She is an avid reader about dogs, training, body language, and the human/dog bond.
Linda has been a certified member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI #1005C) since 2001. She also serves on NADOI's membership committee. She was voted as the best dog trainer in Granville County in both 2022 and 2023.
Linda gets great pleasure in working with dogs and puppies and their families. She loves having the opportunity to work with the veterans and their service dogs through Vets to Vets United.
Volunteer Professional Dog Trainer
Tracie Ham moved to the Triangle area from Columbia, South Carolina, and previously worked as a canine trainer at Highland Canine Training.
Volunteer Professional
Dog Massage Therapist
Creedmor, N.C.
Melanie Hampton is a certified canine massage therapist and teaches our veterans how to use a gentle calming touch to relax their pups and themselves through massage therapy.
Melanie has always been passionate about helping animals which led her to pursue a degree in the veterinary field. She obtained a degree in veterinary medical technology and has over 30 years of experience in the field of veterinary medicine as a registered veterinary technician.
Melanie provides massage/reiki sessions to pets in the Triangle area. She is passionate about the positive benefits that massage and reiki provide to both animals and humans.
