PAWS changing lives one wagging tail at a time

After years of service and silent battles, retired Army Chaplin and now Miami VA Chaplain Brad Turner rediscovered connection, purpose and healing sparked by the companionship of a four-legged friend through Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS).

Turner wasn't seeking transformation; he was simply curious. What started as a tentative step toward healing became a life altering journey, one that now echoes in the halls of the Miami VA Healthcare System.

"I saw an advertisement for the PAWS program and was curious about what, if anything, it could do for me," Turner recalled. What it did was shift his entire view, not just of dogs, but of himself.

In his two decades of military service, Turner mastered the art of discipline and service. Yet, after retiring in 2010, he faced the quiet battles of post-service life: isolation, mistrust and a fading sense of purpose.

"Before joining the program, I always felt alone. Even in crowded rooms. Even with family sometimes. Trust was not a commodity I had in great supply," he shared.

But through PAWS, Turner began working with service dogs in training-not to receive one, but to train them.

"Personally, PAWS helped me see dogs differently… emotionally, the deep connection I wanted to share with the animal was new," he said.

The program offered more than companionship. It rekindled something essential within him. "Sometimes, I did not want to keep going. The PAWS program gave me hope that I could train a dog to be with me, understand what I need, and I could trust to be there for me. This gave me hope in living again," he said.

Turner's newfound determination led him to a nonprofit that paired him with Smokey, the dog who would become his battle buddy.

"Smokey does externally for me that I don't do so well internally," he said. "There is something that happened to me when I realized that Smokey is trained to just me. He is my service dog, and that gives me enough strength most days to refute hopelessness and anxiety."

Inspired by his healing, Turner set out to give others the same gift. In 2024, he launched the Building Awareness and Resilience through Canines (BARC) program at the Miami VA. "The five pillars of the program are education, acquisition, training, verification and therapy."

Now serving as a VA chaplain, Turner sees his role as both a calling and a continuation of service.

"Chaplains can do what some can't. We have deep flexibility. Combine that with my noncommissioned officer (NCO) training, the only thing I could do is create a program to help Veterans do what I did! I still live by the saying, 'Train to lead, lead to train. NCOs led the way!' Nowadays, it's 'Chaplains lead the way!"

His goal is as bold as it is heartfelt: to expand the program across the VA system and help reduce Veteran suicide.

"When we get out of the military, many don't realize the sense of self that is lost. BARC is becoming a community of other, abled Veterans who help remind our other, abled Veterans life is worth living, and best when you do not try to live it alone," he said.

His advice to other Veterans is simple: "Don't stop till you find your canine battle buddy; he is ready to take on the world with you."

Turner didn't just find a partner in Smokey, inspired by the PAWS program; he found his purpose again. And now, he's passing that light on, one wagging tail at a time.