Shelter to Soldier (STS Mission

Shelter to Soldier Service Dog Trainer Exemplifies Military Service and Dedication to the STS Mission

By Eva M. Stimson

Corporal Rachel Charlesworth, 5812 Military Dog Handler and current Shelter to Soldier (STS) Service Dog Trainer, entered the United States Marine Corps in 2013 as a member of the Military Police. First stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, she supported base operations as a first responder and security patrolwoman. Upon being stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, Rachel was selected to become a Military Working Dog Handler and attended the Basic Handlers Course in Lackland, TX, where she graduated at the top of her class. This course prepares selected Marines to handle a Military Working Dog (MWD) in five phases of patrol work, including basic and advanced obedience, scent detection, and suspect apprehension. In her time as a MWD handler, Rachel was chosen as the Section Leader of the Narcotics Dog Teams, and graduated “Top Dog” in her MWD Pre-Deployment training course. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Rachel also worked closely with US Border Patrol, the ATF, and additional government agencies.

Rachel transitioned out of the Marine Corps in October of 2018, with a desire to continue her career with dogs. Before joining the Shelter to Soldier team, she worked for a private security company as a dog handler, providing explosive searches of VIP events throughout Los Angeles, CA. In May of 2019, Rachel received a telephone call from friend and fellow Marine Corps MWD handler about the Shelter to Soldier organization and an opportunity to work with service dogs and veterans. Rachel knew right away this was a perfect fit for her skillset and passion for helping other veterans. “Working with dogs in the Marine Corps showed me the fulfillment dogs can have when given the opportunity to live with a greater purpose, and also taught me about the support they can give their handlers. So many dogs in shelters are just looking for a renewed life, and what better purpose is there for a dog than as a service dog?” Since 2019, Rachel has trained and graduated 11 teams of psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals with their veteran handlers.

Working with STS, Rachel has observed how the impact of the program has helped female veterans in particular. According to Rachel,” My advice to enlisted female veterans who apply to the STS program includes, “Take care of yourself mentally and physically, and be confident in who you are. The STS program is life changing for many of the female military veterans who sometimes don’t feel secure around men. These women are more safe and confident when they have an STS service dog by their side.”

Everyday, 20 US veterans on average commit suicide and approximately 1,800 dogs are euthanized. These staggering statistics inspire the entire STS team to do all they can do to support those served by the Shelter to Soldier program, both canine and human. Shelter to Soldier is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other psychological injuries. The program also places Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) with active duty military and veterans, and deploys their Shelter to Soldier Canine Ambassadors, a team of therapy dogs, to provide visits of love and comfort to active duty military, veterans and their families as well as community partners throughout Southern California. www.sheltertosoldier.org.

To learn more about veteran-support services provided by STS, call 760-870-5338 for a confidential interview regarding eligibility.