We would like to thank you for your interest in participating in the Heroes K9 Odyssey Academy program. This academy was established to give second chances- second chances to our nation's heroes and the dogs who were brought into this world and ended up in a rescue by no fault of their own. 

We are currently taking applications for our Spring Session, beginning March 16, 2027. We run our program out of The Eagles Healing Nest. This program includes “K9 Foundations Development” certification education and pairs students with a dog to teach and learn from.

We will coach the dogs in AKC Canine Good Citizen expectations, earning the dog the AKC CGC title while giving the human students valuable skills.

This is a 12-week program that meets 3 times a week and requires daily reading, working with your K9 partner, training documentation, and skill development.

We are also in the final stages of developing an online program, which does not include the skills developoment/ working directly with a K9.

This program, both on-campus and online, is funded through generous donors who continue to ensure our scholarships are available.

As part of the application process, you are required to write a letter of intent; that letter should include:

      Why do you want to participate in our program

      Share a memory of a joyful moment with a dog

      Share about a possible negative or upsetting interaction(s) with a dog(s)

      Your personal goals for the future.

We also ask that you answer the question, “What does giving a dog a correction” mean to you?

Being a student at HK9OA requires you to commit to something bigger than yourself, but you need to acknowledge and address your personal needs; sobriety is a must, and it’s a biggy. The Eagles Healing Nest campus is chemical- and alcohol-free, and we not only respect that, but we will not tolerate any breaches of that rule. Aside from being a rule, sobriety often is a challenge that brings heroes to seek help and support; as a student at HK9OA, if you are working on sobriety, you are expected to seek appropriate support, i.e., an AA group, working with your sponsor, etc. Your health and well-being are the most important goals for our program, but you need to take responsibility for setting yourself up for success.

Another expectation of our program is that you are honest. That said, you are expected to disclose all of your criminal history. We are all humans, and we all make mistakes. The expectation is that we acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them. We will complete a criminal history review on any candidate who progresses through the written application and in-person interview; candidates will be removed from the process if they have committed crimes of violence, assaults, or crimes against animals. We intend to set both the students and dogs up for success, and therefore, we need to ensure that everyone is safe and free from fear. Crimes of violence often stem from anger and aggression issues (What is Violence? Psychology behind violence -/ The Science of Violence), and therefore create a potential negative environment or outcome, so we need to protect our participants. If you believe there are extenuating circumstances to any of your history, please talk openly with us about them so we can do what is best for everyone.

You can send your letter of intent to amie@heroesk9odysseyacademy.org

After we review your letter of intent and determine that this program is a good fit, there will be an in-person interview/discussion with at least 3 other people.

The final step is to have a complete background check.