TOKA'S FRIENDS 
Service dogs for military veterans

Sharon initially entered the active Army in Feb of 1976 when it was still The Women's Army Corp. While in the military, she saw the 1st women enter as soldiers, and she also saw the 1st use of computers and worked on the 1st use of cell phones.  Later in her career, she was deployed to the Gulf War and Iraq. She served 27 years in the active Army and Reserves and retired in 2005.  Sharon and Jesse (named in honor of Ensign Jesse Leroy Brown - more info below) became certified as a team in November of 2024.

"On July 9th, 2023, I tragically lost my first service dog of 8 years. I was devastated and lost without her. She was such a valuable part of my life and recovery from my war experiences. Without her, I went into a deep depression and enclosed myself in my house, rarely going out. My PTSD returned with a fury. I was seriously considering suicide. Four months later, I found Toka's Friends. Toka's Friends was literally a life saver for me. I started training with Jesse when he was 5 months old. It was just what I needed. Mike and his family understood that and provided a safe environment for me to work with them on a weekly or more basis. It was the therapy I needed. 

Mike was extremely accommodating and often adjusted his schedule to work with me. I can't thank him and his family enough for being there for me through a very dark period. Jesse is an invaluable addition to my life. He has opened my world up again. The aid he provides has allowed me to re-enter the world again. He goes everywhere with me and is always by my side. I'm again a very active person. Thanks to Jesse, I can trust that I'm safe and know that he will be there when he is needed. This is all due to his training and his trainer, Mike.

I can't thank Mike and his family enough for all they have done for me. Thanks to Toka's Friends and Jesse, I'm living my life again."- Sharon