We were lucky to catch up with Ryan Hennig recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ryan, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Paws of Honor, Inc. was officially created by the Director, Bob Youngblood in 2015. But the idea started long before then. Youngblood says, “I was sitting in my office in McLean, Virginia at 9:37 looking out the window and talking on the phone to my wife about the attack to the Twin Towers in New York, when I saw plumes of black smoke rising from the direction of Arlington/Washington D.C. The Pentagon had been hit and I had friends and clients that worked there. One of my clients is the Pentagon K-9 Protection Force, and they would be the first responders. On that day, lives were lost and lives were changed, and I knew I wanted to help.”
“As the Director of Old Dominion Animal Health Center, we already had a working relationship with several DOD and law enforcement agencies. We actually treated many of the dogs that were at the Pentagon that day, and I was struck by the incredible bond the officers and dogs had, especially after going through what they had on 9/11. It was this ‘bond’ that planted the seed for Paws of Honor.”
The events of 9/11 brought to light the importance of military and law enforcement dogs in our national and global security operations. These dogs are often the first and last line of defense in the war on terrorism – – everything from securing our airports, to detecting IEDs, to conducting missions that make the entire world safer. These dogs have never been more important than they are now.
Unfortunately, the government doesn’t treat the dogs with the same reverence after they retire from service. Matter of fact, the dogs are classified as equipment, and once decommissioned, they are not afforded any benefits, including veterinary care.
The seed that was planted years before took root. Youngblood continues, “I realized I could help by partnering military and law enforcement K-9s’ with manufacturers and vendors in the veterinary industry. Together, they would work for the common goal of providing veterinary care and benefits to the retired dogs at no cost* to the officers.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Bob Youngblood, founder and president of a national 501c non-profit called Paws of Honor.

The mission of POH is to provide 100% free veterinary care for retired military and Police K9’s.

I started POH based on the incredible bond between the K9 handlers and their K9’s and the fact that once these K9 heroes retire, the government stops all benefits including medical care and food.

My inspiration: I was sitting in my office in McLean, Virginia at 9:37 looking out the window and talking on the phone to my wife about the attack to the Twin Towers in New York, when I saw plumes of black smoke rising from the direction of Arlington/Washington D.C. The Pentagon had been hit and I had friends and clients that worked there. One of my clients is the Pentagon K-9 Protection Force, and they would be the first responders. On that day, lives were lost and lives were changed, and I knew I wanted to help.”

Any advice for managing a team?

It easy! Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Employees are our most valuable asset and should be treated as such. I try to create a family atmosphere. We have fun, joke around but we also to great work. The two are not mutually exclusive!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Always temper expectations from someone that is trying to sell you something.

They are motivated by $ not by your future satisfaction and once the deal is signed, you should expect much less service.

I learned this through payroll processing companies.    

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pawsofhonor.org