10-05-2025
New service dog helps one Colorado veteran while honoring the legacy of another
LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) — It was the start of a beautiful friendship.
On stage at Stillwater Derby, a veteran's fundraiser at Stillwater Ranch in Larimer County over the weekend, a puppy named Humphrey met the Colorado veteran he'll be paired with to help navigate the challenges of PTSD.
'Humphrey is a service dog in training who begins his journey and partnership with his veteran right here in this moment,' said JoAnna McTevia, founder of Bodhi Battalion, a non-profit that for the last decade has paired veterans and first responders with young service dogs in training.
This service dog placement holds special meaning. He was named in honor of a Colorado hero who was all set to receive a service dog before tragedy struck.
'Jason (Humphrey) was accepted into our program and set to receive his service dog in training just before retiring from the sheriff's department. He felt both excited and nervous about this new chapter in his life. And we were just as excited to walk along with him,' said McTevia.
'Tragically, just two weeks after his acceptance, Jason lost his life in a traffic accident,' she added.
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Jason Humphrey was killed in a car crash in February 2024 while driving home from work. He'd spent 20 years with the Adams County Sheriff's Office and 25 years in military service.
'While this shook the community that he knows so well and we grieved, we also knew that we had to do something to honor the life and legacy he was building,' McTevia said.
That's why they named their newest service dog in training Humphrey, and what better way to carry on Jason Humphrey's legacy than to pair the pup with one of Jason's friends? A Colorado National Guard veteran named Dillon, who served with Jason Humphrey both overseas and at home.
'Dillon carries Jason's memory with him, and today Humphrey becomes a living reminder that even in loss, there's hope, healing and new beginnings,' McTevia said.
Humphrey the puppy was bred by San Juan Kennels in Montrose, which is owned by a Gold Star Family. Owner Rob Hall's brother, Curtis, was killed in action in Iraq in April 2007. The family raises and places service dogs in Curtis's memory.
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