# RETRIEVING FREEDOM, Inc.



## Scott Dewey (Sep 24, 2012)

Retrieving Freedom, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded for the pupose of training and placing service dogs with our Disabled Veterans and Children with Autism.

Scott Dewey and Charles Dwyer have founded this new organization for the placement of service dogs for the Disabled Veterans and Children with Autism that come from every walk of life. Most of these recipients struggle with astronomical health care costs, and cannot afford the service dogs that can bring the independence back into their lives. 


I would like to let the field trial community know that following the 2012 National Open that I will no longer be training competition retrievers professionally. I want to thank everyone in this sport for the past twelve years that Rock River Retrievers has been operating, it was a GREAT RIDE! I also want everyone to know that *we need your support* in this new organization. Please take the time to call, email, or visit our website to see how you can help place a dog with our Disabled Veterans and Children with Autism. You can click on the Retrieving Freedom banner on RTF to see the website at retrievingfreedom.org.

I am brand new at posting, so bear with me. On the website in the event section you will see a great way that you can help guys like Jonathan Carnes raise some money for his service dog through a raffle that we are doing on a War Eagle Boat! Soon we will also be opening a new raffle for 2 training seminars, one with Mike Lardy and one with Dave Rorem that the winner can attend within the next 12-18 months.

To purchase raffle tickets go to: http://retrievingfreedom.org/Event_11-24-12.shtml

Please feel free to ask and email any questions that you might have about Retrieving Freedom. 

Scott Dewey

Scott email: [email protected] 

Charles email: [email protected]


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## TroyFeeken (May 30, 2007)

Good luck to you Scott and Charles! Very courageous of you two in leading out to something with much more meaningful purpose and leaving what you're so accustomed to with guaranteed paychecks.


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## Ted Shih (Jan 20, 2003)

This is really a great program and one that we should all support. I sent a dog several months ago to Scott and am pleased that he seems to be progressing well with him.


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## Gwen Jones (Jun 19, 2004)

I bought the book for my Grandson that they are selling. This is a book that depicts an x soldier and how his service dog has helped restore his life to normal. Hollywood will be making a movie out of the book and it is appropriate for young teens as well as adults. I encourage each of you to buy this book, share it with a family member and spread the word of hope that Retriever Freedon supports. I am proud of Charles and Scott and their families for breaking out of their comfort zone and starting a new venture that highlights the unique ability of dogs to bring a new quality of life to adults and children in need.


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## Scott Dewey (Sep 24, 2012)

Troy, Ted, and Gwen --- THANK YOU!


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## JS (Oct 27, 2003)

TroyFeeken said:


> Good luck to you Scott and Charles! Very courageous of you two in leading out to something with much more meaningful purpose and leaving what you're so accustomed to with guaranteed paychecks.


Good post, Troy.

I first trained with Scott when he was just starting out on his own and watched him build his reputation to what it is today. That is not done without a tremendous amount of work and commitment to excellence. He has never done anything halfway. Proud to call him a friend.

You are right; it is a courageous move at a time when the future looks so bright and I’ll bet he will miss ... at least a little ... the challenge of training these fantastic retrievers and the competition that goes along with it. At the same time, I have seen how passionate he and Charles have become with this new “calling”. They do have their act together and I know they will deliver the most highly skilled service dogs in the business as affordably as possible.

It is a worthy cause to support, indeed. Rarely would one of these recipients be able to afford a dog without help and a contribution to make that possible ... gotta make you feel good!

JS


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## dexdoolittle (Apr 26, 2008)

Back to the top, just in case anybody missed it. This is a great venture and puts new meaning into dog training. Scott and Charles have worked very hard to get where they are in life and will continue to do the same with Retrieving Freedom. 

Let me know if you need any help, I would be honored to be a part....

DEX


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## Scott Dewey (Sep 24, 2012)

Great, thanks Jack and Dex! We have recieved several emails as well with a few questions that I would like to answer for everyone.

Q: Are donations to Retrieving Freedom tax deductible?

A: Yes, we are officially a 501c3 charitible organization registered with the IRS.

Q: How can we help?

A: There are many ways:
1. Make a donation to RFI on the website or mail to Retrieving Freedom, Inc. at 1148 230th St, Waverly, IA 50677

2. Purchase raffle tickets for the War Eagle boat that will given away Nov 24th to help train and place service dogs.

3. Sign up to be a donor home for a RFI puppy. Raise the puppy till 6-9 months of age prior to official training.

4. Donate a trial dog that does not meet your expectations, and be included on the placement of that dog to their new recipient.

5. Offer profesional services that are needed for the organization. Examples are grant writing, public awareness campaigns, legal services, research, and connections to unknown donor's that would want to be a part of this needed organization.

Scott why are you leaving a sport that you have been sucessful in for something like this?


A: For the past several years I have been struggling with the time that this career has taken away from my wife and two young boys. We all know what it takes to be competitive in this sport, and I feel that to this day I have dedicated myself to be the best trainer, handler and Field Trial Representative possible.

Ironically, I have discovered a need for trained retrievers that coincides with my aspirations to be at home more with my family.

Charles Dwyer approached me with the initial idea of training service dogs for disabled veterans, after reviewing and considering the possibilities. I was intrigued primarily, because it would allow me to continue training dogs while being home more with my family. I still had not felt a burning desire or sense of any urgency to make this idea a reality. After the winter trip of 2011, I began some trial and error service dog training and continued researching of the service dog industry.

Through this research, Charles and I began to see the incredible needs for trained service dogs that were not being met. We also starting seeing, firsthand, the impact that these dogs were making with the disabled veterans with Post Traumatic Stress. It was unbelievable! We met guys that had attempted suicide after being sent home in a wheelchair. And now, with their new retrieving buddy by their side, they were giving presentations in front of thousands of people! Not only did we see dogs that helped with their physical disabilities, but they helped with their mental stress as well.

This research continued as we began working on the many ideas and details of a business plan. I was getting comfortable with the responses that I was getting while training the few experimental dogs that I was working, yet I still needed more information to feel comfortable with our plan. This was when Charles and I made a trip to ECAD, a service dog training facility in New York. We returned home with several new ideas and a huge sense of security in our abilities to make this idea a reality.

The first change we needed to make in our plan was a way to reduce our washout rate to a level well below a very high industry average. We realized that every dog would not have the abilities to make an assertive service dog for a disabled veteran, and we introduced children with autism into our plan. We feel that dogs chosen with the desired breeding traits would have a very high chance of success in one of these two markets. Often times the dogs that do not meet the requirements for a disabled veteran will be a perfect match for an autistic child.

Charles dove head-first into working hands-on with a school for children with autism. The results of this work are amazing, and they include stories of five year old autistic children talking for the first time because of a connection made with a dog. Being there during these times created a very emotional and spiritual emotion.

We have started a not-for-profit business called Retrieving Freedom, Inc., (RFI) that will provide trained service dogs to disabled veterans and children with autism. Our reasons for a not-for-profit organization are based on the fact that most of these people can’t afford the service dogs that they so desperately need. We will be introducing several plans that will allow individuals to support RFI; including the need for cash contributions, donor homes for puppies, donated field trial washouts, and the volunteering of professional services.

Retrieving Freedom has officially received our 501c3 status as a charitable organization, which the IRS allows donations to be fully tax deductible.

We are working on several fundraising campaigns that will include many sponsors from our field trial industry. Charles and I have done a lot of soul searching and have developed a business plan and strategy over the past 18 months. We are now ready to implement and execute our strategy. To this point I have committed to my field trial customers to train competition dogs through the 2012 National Open, and that I would do my best to try and win it.

What first started as a way to be home more with my family has now become a passion that’s found its way into my heart, and I am committed and driven to make this a success for the people who require our help.

Finally, I want to say thank-you to everyone in this sport that has been a part of my life over the last twelve years of training field trial retrievers. I am proud of the dogs and clients that have put the faith in allowing me to train their dogs to level of success we achieved. This sport has allowed me to meet thousands of wonderful people and see some of the most beautiful parts of this country. I believe that this past experience is what will allow me to make this next step in my life.

Respectfully yours,

Scott Dewey 


Many people do not realize that there is no specific government funding available for our Disabled Veterans that are in need of a service dog. In the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars alone over 60,000 Veterans have been disabled and 300,000+ Veterans are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The number of dogs placed with these Veterans is under 500. They need our help and we need your help! 

I have not even mentioned the 47,000 children born each year with Autism.


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## Vicky Trainor (May 19, 2003)

Best of luck on your endeavors to help our disabled veterans as well as the Autistic children


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## Aaron Homburg (Sep 23, 2005)

*

Scott great and worthy cause!! If I am reading this right a donation of a puppy/washout is tax deductible?


Great Program Regards,

Aaron*


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## dexdoolittle (Apr 26, 2008)

Aaron, I am pretty sure that is correct, but lets get that from Scott or Charles just to make sure....


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## Donald Flanagan (Mar 17, 2009)

Scott Dewey said:


> The first change we needed to make in our plan was a way to reduce our washout rate to a level well below a very high industry average. We realized that every dog would not have the abilities to make an assertive service dog for a disabled veteran, and we introduced children with autism into our plan. We feel that dogs chosen with the desired breeding traits would have a very high chance of success in one of these two markets. Often times the dogs that do not meet the requirements for a disabled veteran will be a perfect match for an autistic child.


I'm curious about what you look for in a service dog for disabled veterans, and what you look for when preparing one for an autistic child. For guide dogs for the blind, I thought I heard/read that they look for dogs with very low prey drive, extremely calm/laid back, etc. Obviously, field trial prospects/washouts will have very high prey drive, and very high energy. I would be very interested in knowing what kind of tasks these dogs perform, and what kind of training they go through as they get ready to assist our veterans.


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## Charles Dwyer (Feb 10, 2006)

Folks,

First off let me say Thank You to the support Scott and I have received over the last year. This has been a project in the works for almost two years now and has been quite the path that we have been led down. I don’t believe things happen by chance and truly believe that Scott and I have been blessed to know what it is that we are supposed to do with our lives and in that process have had one door after another opened. We had many obstacles and just when things would start to look hopeless, the answer would be just around the corner. So here we are, one dog placed, a growing waiting list, and dogs in the pipeline!

Donald, 

In response to your question, our long term goal is to have an in house breeding program that hopefully will give us the standard that we are comfortable with training and confident that once placed with a recipient a minimal amount of follow up will be required. If we do a good enough job through the placement process we will give the recipient enough information to maintain the dog as well as advance his abilities once they get home and really start to see the things that these dogs can do. In a sense we expect the majority of our recipients to actually take the training we have put into the dog to an even higher specific needs level. This in itself is an incredible type of therapy both physical and mental. It helps immensely with PTSD patients as well as physically damaged recipients. These dogs make them get up and get back into society as well as being a buffer against the world. The dog becomes the focus of social encounters rather than the injury.
These dogs are trained to do as many as 80 different tasks such as pick up and retrieve just about any common item, (cell phone, TV remote, crutches, cane, prosthetic limb, etc.), open and close doors, cabinets, drawers, retrieve items from the fridge, load and unload washer/ dryer, push buttons, alert, push/pull wheel chair, interrupt flashbacks, nightmares, etc…. 

The thing that sets us apart from most all of the service dog organizations is that we are dog trainers first , we have all the tools and many years of experience. The experience that we have and I am including everyone that reads this board is uniquely diverse from the average service dog organization. We deal with issues at hundreds of yards whereas service dogs are only required to operate within an immediate space around their handler. However, within that immediate area they have to be perfect 100% of the time. 

So with our experience in training retrievers to be competitive trial dogs, hunt test dogs, gun dogs, we are also outdoorsmen. We do offer one avenue for a wounded veteran that comes from an outdoor background, a type of dog we are classifying as a combination dog. This is something Scott is very passionate about. Many of the young men and women that are being wounded by coward warfare, IED’s, love to hunt, fish and be outdoors. This takes a dog that is a little more outgoing than the dog you described as the norm. We recognize that it is going to take dogs of several different energy levels to make the best dog for the wide variety of recipients that we will encounter. However, some of these field trial wash outs are superb animals and can be used for these younger wounded warriors that would like to have a gun dog they can hunt with as well as help them get through the course of the day. We are working with a young marine who is currently completing his recovery at Walter Reed. He is a single amputee and barley escaped being a double amputee. He is an incredible young man with one of the strongest kindest hearts I’ve met. His name is Jonathon Carnes and I am proud to call him my friend. He has one of the most dedicated father’s I have ever met. His father Jon Carnes has been by his side from day one at Walter Reed, pretty much lost everything but never left his side. What a sacrifice this family has made to protect the freedoms that so many of us can sometimes take for granted. We have been truly blessed to have been born in the greatest country on the planet and have many, many young men like Jonathon putting everything on the line to keep us safe and ensure us of the freedoms that our enemies so despise. Jon has begun to introduce us to many more young men like himself that a dog like this could be lifesaving. Now they are all together sharing a common bond at Walter Reed with an incredible support group but as they are released and go home, that support group is much weaker. We are losing one veteran a day to suicide. We have lost more troops to suicide than have been killed in combat, something is wrong! We need the ability to get as many of these dogs placed and in service as possible.

So a washout could be the perfect fit for this type of service dog. Many of these wounded warriors are in their twenties. They are going to have several service dogs throughout the course of their life. As they age and complications arise with their injuries and as a result of the aging process, etc., a calmer dog may be the ticket further down the line. Hope that helped answer the question, please feel free to keep them coming! The more about service dogs we get out to the public, the better informed we will be!

Thank You!
Charles


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## Janet Kimbrough (Aug 14, 2003)

Charles,

I am so proud for you. I have known of your passion since you began your involvement with Tower of Hope. Wishing much success for you and Scott to make your dreams and passion come true.

God Bless you both for your dedication to such a wonderful cause.

Janet


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## Rodney (Sep 16, 2012)

Charles, Are you on Facebook andTwitter?


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## Charles Dwyer (Feb 10, 2006)

Janet-Thank You!

Rodney,
Facebook yes, hadn't tackled twitter yet. We also have a facebook page for RFI


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## Aussie (Jan 4, 2003)

Charles wrote: "We are losing one veteran a day to suicide. We have lost more troops to suicide than have been killed in combat, something is wrong! "

Heart breaking stats. 

I and a friend were volunteers a couple of days ago, when Australian Assistance Dogs were having a public graduation ceremony in Melbourne (my state's capital). Assisting wheel chair and companion dogs. Very different requirements. 

I could not help becoming emotional during the awards..the human canine bonds were outstanding. How I studied those dogs for a few short hours. 

Reading this thread again has me searching for the tissues. 

A wonderful thread and good luck ++++++++++++++ from the land Downunder. 

The value of dogs never ceases to amaze me.


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## Tim West (May 27, 2003)

RTF, Let's get behind Scott and Charles and make this happen!


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## Charles Dwyer (Feb 10, 2006)

Aussie-Its truly amazing!

Thanks Tim!

Look at: www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/war.casualties/index.html

Over 7,900 US & Coalition forces killed in Afghaniston & Iraq. This website shows where they were killed and where they were from.

As of 10/7/2012

Afghanistan: 3,184 deaths, 17,644 wounded
Iraq: 4,804 deaths, 32,227 wounded

21 is the age of the majority of the soliders killed

I spent quite a bit of time with a young man Sat at a Wounded Warrior event. He lost a son just minutes after birth in Japan, within seconds of handing over his son, he suffered a heart attack, he was deployed to Iraq and blown up, thankfully did not loose a limb, recovered, redeployed and was shot in the head by a sniper. He told me he would do it all over again and misses it everyday. Thank god we are blessed with yound men and women born with this warrior spirit. He is suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As a retriever community, we know the value and abilities of these wonderful animals so who better than the retriever community to support this endeavour. There are many organizations like ours, whether or not you support RFI, please support one! There could be another 100 training facilities like what we are trying to do and the nead would still outpace the supply.


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## dexdoolittle (Apr 26, 2008)

I think if any body reads the responses by Charles and Scott, they will realize that this is not something they just woke up wanting to do. They have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into researching this path...


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## Bridget Bodine (Mar 4, 2008)

Got my raffles! Anybody else?  not a brag just a bump, plus be nice to have a new boat!!!......come on folks,


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## Charles Dwyer (Feb 10, 2006)

Thanks Bridget! Tickets in the mail this afteernoon. Good Luck and thank you so much for your support!!


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## JS (Oct 27, 2003)

Charles Dwyer said:


> Folks,
> 
> 
> ......
> ...


What Charles said here is worth repeating.

RFI is somewhat unique in that the managers ... those who will run the operation and make the business decisions ... are the trainers themselves. They are “dog people” who have extensive experience in running a business. As such, they can understand the how’s and why’s of things like minimizing the washout rate.

Being able to finish and place a high percentage of the dogs that start out the training program is a major factor in containing the final cost per dog.

JS


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## Scott Dewey (Sep 24, 2012)

This thread has been great! Thanks again to all that have posted, purchased raffle tickets, and contacted us directly. The raffle tickets on the boat will only be available for the next month, and the odds of winning are still better than 1:100 at this point if you purchase the deal for 5 tickets. Several personal emails have asked us about doing local fundraisers for Retrieving Freedom. What a great idea! I am putting some packages together with handouts, presentations, newsletters, etc. Feel free to contact us about these if you think that there might be some local interest in your area. 

These local events could be put together many ways:
1. Local club training day that portion of entries go to Retrieving Freedom
2. 5k run to support RFI
3. Local raffle on a donated item or item that we can get for you Example: Yeti Cooler
4. Local papers running a story on RFI
5. Bake Sales
6. Poker run with local motor cycle clubs -- many veterans enjoy this
7. Larger event with dinner and auction
8. Looking for any other ideas as well

Again, thanks for the involvement in this thread. The longer we can have questions and responses the more awareness we can bring.

Scott Dewey

[email protected]


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## Scott Dewey (Sep 24, 2012)

Also I have received several PM's that I can not reply to until I have made 10 posts, so please email me if you can.

Scott

[email protected]


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## jcjcarnes (Mar 7, 2010)

Thank you gentleman for doing so much. What an honor to have met you and spend time with you. We're behind you and support your efforts. John Carnes


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## Charles Dwyer (Feb 10, 2006)

Thursday October 18th, we are having a special event in Memphis, TN. We are blessed to have former Army Captain Luis Montalvan. He has written a New York Best Seller called “Until Tuesday” and will be speaking at a small fund raising event,. Luis will be at the Fire Museum on Adams Street. His book is incredible, easy to read, gives you an insight into what war is like, how he was injured, and how a dog named Tuesday pulled him back from the brink of suicide as a result of a traumatic brain injury and Traumatic Stress Disorder. 
www.until-tuesday.com

"A highly decorated Captain in the US Army, Luis Montalvan never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home from combat however the pressures of his physical wounds, traumatic brain injuries, and crippling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder began to take their toll. Haunted by the war and in constant physical pain he soon found himself unable to climb a simple flight of stairs or face a bus ride to the VA hospital. He drank, he argued, he ultimately cut himself off from the ones he loved. Alienated and alone, unable to sleep or bend over without pain, he began to wonder if he would ever recover. Then Luis met Tuesday a beautiful and sensitive Golden Retriever trained to assist the disabled. Tuesday had lived among prisoners and at a home for troubled boys blessing many lives. He could turn on lights, open doors, and sense the onset of anxiety and flashbacks. But because of a unique training situation and a sensitive nature he found it difficult to trust in or connect with human beings until Luis.
“Until Tuesday” is the story of how two wounded warriors had given so much and suffered the consequences and found salvation in each other. Is a story about war and peace, injury and recovery, and psychological wounds and spiritual restoration? But more than that it is a story between a man and how they healed each other’s souls."

Autographed copies of this book are available on our website. If you want to see a deeper insight into what the world is for a wounded veteran and the value of service dogs, this would be a good book. It is also available at most all book stores and it is soon to be a major motion picture. Anyone in the Memphis, TN area that would be interested in hearing Luis talk, we have seats available.

Thanks!
Charles


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## Strongline Retrievers (Jun 24, 2005)

Bump to top...


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## Charles Dwyer (Feb 10, 2006)

Here is the 2nd painting our good friend Dan Hatala has done for us. Our next fund raising event will focus on PTSD and we hope to have captured that theme in this painting. Prints will be available soon, let us know if your interested. All donations for these sponser prints will go to covering the production costs for service dogs for wounded Veterans and children with Autism.


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