Gold & White Star Families Find Hope with Retrieving Freedom's Companion Dogs

Introducing the Companion Dog Program for Gold and White Star Families 

 

Companion Dogs for Gold and White Star Families, Retrieving Freedom’s newest program launching this winter, showcases its desire to give back. The one-of-a-kind program will be matching our “career-change” dogs, dogs who cannot for whatever reason become Service Dogs, with families who have lost a service member or veteran. 

During World War I, a U.S. Army Captain designed a flag with a single blue star for each of his sons who were serving in the armed forces. Others began to proudly display the same flag with each blue star representing an immediate family member who was active duty, and the flag was quickly declared a formal service flag.

 

Ever since, families with an active duty service member have been known as Blue Star Families. When one of those active duty service members died in the line of duty, their blue star was turned to gold, and the immediate family was designated a Gold Star Family.  

A more recent designation, White Star Family signifies the loss of an immediate family member to suicide. White Star Families today are typically military-connected, however, the designation is also used for the immediate families of first responders lost to suicide. 

RFI works with veterans and their families daily, and it has brought an understanding of the impact of service for our nation. This impact weighs heavily on Gold and White Star Families who suffered a traumatic, immense loss due to the service of their loved one.  

Multiple childhood bereavement studies over the last few decades have correlated parental loss during childhood with higher rates of depression and anxiety in adulthood. Another recent study correlated the traumatic loss of a parent in childhood with higher rates of PTSD.   

More importantly, for White Star Families, a recent study showed children exposed to parental suicide were three times more likely to die by suicide and two times more prone to attempt suicide than offspring of two living parents.   

Indeed, these families are surviving the ultimate sacrifice. The few organizations providing support services to these families all agree on one thing – more support is needed.  

 

Filling the Gap: Support for Families in Need 

Retrieving Freedom stands ready to help fill the void with a support it can offer: Companion Dogs.  

RFI knows there is a growing body of evidence in favor of animal assisted interventions during the grief process. A recent study exploring what determined sufficient support during grief cycles ranked animals among the highest form of all social support, which included categories like friends, family, community members, faith, and therapists. Several studies have shown children and adolescents engaged in animal assisted interventions, such as a pet, improved their mental health after a traumatic experience and were less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as suicide.   

The Companion Dog for Gold and White Star Families program will allow RFI’s career-change dogs to serve our nation in a unique way – giving support and healing to a family who has made the ultimate sacrifice. To serve this demographic, RFI has teamed with organizations that support Gold and White Star Families, such as Wear Blue: Run to Remember and America’s Mighty Warriors.  

The first Companion Dog was placed with a White Star Family on December 30! 

 

 

Linus was moving through his Service Dog training and passing training benchmarks with flying colors. Sadly, he started showing signs of allergies early in 2024. His severe allergies mean he cannot be placed as a client’s service dog, but his temperament and calm demeanor make him perfect to be this program’s first Companion Dog. Linus will bring hope and healing to a White Star Family based in Kansas City. 

 

A Family’s Journey: The Moore Story 

Shawn Moore gave up her career as a police officer to become a caregiver for her husband, Bryan, an Army veteran with invisible injuries. Shawn, also a mother of four, began a strong advocacy for caregivers and military families. She completed a Master's in Social Work and founded Caregivers on the Homefront, a nonprofit supporting the mental health and wellness of military, veteran, and first responder family members. 

In February 2024, Shawn’s life would drastically change once again when Bryan died by suicide, despite doing everything ‘right’ according to his treatment plans. Shawn, and her four girls, would begin the most painful transition of their lives – going from caregivers to survivors. Shawn’s honesty is brutal when, just recently, she mentioned how much more painful being a survivor is over being “just a caregiver.”  

 

As 2024 pressed on after Bryan’s death, the Moore family struggled. Important dates passed for the first time without Bryan, and the loss of his presence was felt deeply. Holidays passed without him taking part in activities, and the Moores struggled to find their new normal. Shawn knew the struggle was worsening for one of her daughters, Peyton.  Shawn took advantage of all the resources available, but she still felt more help was needed.  

Then she heard about the program Retrieving Freedom was launching – the Companion Dog for Gold and White Stars program. It was something Shawn knew would help. Peyton and Bryan not only shared a birthday month, but they also shared a love of dogs. Shawn knows that Linus is bringing her family the unconditional love they need and a connection back to Bryan that Peyton will feel every day.  

 

Hope and Healing Through the Human-Animal Bond 

Retrieving Freedom understands the transition into survivor is fraught with challenges, especially when youth are involved. We also know the human and animal bond can be incredibly helpful during the grief process.  

RFI is proud to launch this program to be the support these families so greatly need. It’s our way of giving back even more.

 

Doing the Good: How You Can Help 

RFI will not charge these families for their Companion Dogs, nor does RFI ever charge clients who receive Service Dogs. RFI relies on the generous support of our national and local communities.  We’re committed to being the good our community needs.

 

 

 

---

 

Changing Lives Through Service Dogs 

Retrieving Freedom’s mission is to change lives through the training and placement of service dogs with veterans with disability and children on the autism spectrum. RFI completes its mission every day because, at its heart, RFI is driven to give back to the community.