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
Oxford, NC
In her previous career, Jan Floyd was a special education teacher and school principal. Teaching has always been a driving force in Jan’s life, so the transition to dog trainer was an easy one. A lifelong animal lover, Jan first entered the dog world as a dog owner. Later, as an adult and a parent, Jan adopted a “crazy Labrador Retriever” that dragged her across a baseball field while chasing another dog. She sought a trainer who helped both her and her dog. Next, Jan answered the call to foster homeless dogs, but for the first time, she encountered two dog-aggressive foster dogs for which her skills were insufficient to turn the dogs around. It was a very humbling experience. Later, one of her own dogs showed significant dog aggression, and Jan sought the help of a professional trainer again. She became so engrossed in training and rehabilitation that after retirement, Jan became a certified pet obedience trainer and worked with a training facility for 18 months before opening her own training business, The Calm Canine LLC, in 2013. Jan continues to learn dog training skills and has embarked on service dog training in addition to pet dog training. Much to Jan’s surprise, her current Labrador Retriever has introduced Jan to the vast world of dog sports, including competitive Obedience, Rally, Dock Diving, Hunt Tests, Barn Hunt, Scentwork, and Tracking. Additionally, Jan has found immense pleasure in volunteering as a service dog trainer for Vets to Vets United, Inc., and as a volunteer trainer for Durham Kennel Club, helping people train their adult dogs to become the best family dog in town. Jan is also a Qualified Affiliate with Volhard Dog Nutrition, advocating for the benefits of feeding a natural diet for unsurpassed health and nutrition for dogs.
