Northwest Battle Buddies - All Bark, No Bite
As a 100% disabled combat veteran with PTSD and TBI, I reached out to Northwest Battle Buddies hoping to train my newly adopted sweetheart, a 3-year-old Great Dane mix named Minnie, to be my service animal.
My wife was in Italy caring for her dying mother, while I came back to the land of the free and home of the let-you-down for "treatment" (and I use that term generously) from the usual suspects at the VA--a system so overburdened, underwhelming, and broken it has made a grown man cry many times.
To help me cope, I began fostering Minnie, who quickly became my best friend and lifeline. She weighs over 100 pounds and has a heart twice that size--perfect temperament for my public anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional support.
I sent a detailed message, laying out my situation, my needs, and my struggles. When the founder finally returned my call, I expected compassion. Instead, I got cold, robotic indifference. She practically barked "What do you want?"--like I was interrupting her day, not a veteran reaching out for help. Given the constant brain fog, memory lapses, and crippling anxiety that come with TBI and PTSD, being forced to restate what was already in her hands felt dismissive and cruel.
Then came the kicker: $5,000 for a single month of training, not including food, at their for-profit facility. Not a single offer of a veteran discount, financial assistance, or even a shred of human compassion. Just the price tag. Period.
Yes, they offer a potentially valuable service to some veterans, which is why this isn't a 1-2 Bomb review, but their strict and judgmental policies around alcohol and drug use paint us all as addicts and liabilities. We're veterans, not criminals. We've fought and bled for this country--we deserve empathy, not assumption.
CombatCritic Gives Northwest Battle Buddies 2 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better - Unless You're On The Receiving End!