About Us
Our Mission
At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to honor and empower our esteemed Veterans and First Responders who are in critical need of the invaluable support and companionship that service dogs or emotional support dogs can provide. We have forged a meaningful partnership with one of our nation's foremost dog trainer schools, Top Tier K9, to ensure that our heroes and their beloved canine companions receive nothing short of the finest training and education available.
Our unwavering dedication propels us to aim for excellence in all we do. We strive to create the finest handler/k9 teams, achieving results in record time, a feat often beyond the reach of government programs or other private sector initiatives. It's a testament to our deep respect and gratitude for those who have served and responded, and we endeavor to give back in the most meaningful way possible.
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Our journey begins with the careful selection of puppies from reputable breeders. Their training as TTK9 Foundation Dogs® commences at just 8 weeks old for our service dog programs. For our emotional support animal program, these remarkable canines undergo rigorous high-level obedience training, building a solid foundation for advanced skills. They are sensitively conditioned to handle diverse situations with poise, providing our Veterans and First Responders with a source of unwavering support and comfort that exceeds all expectations. Together, we are honored to walk this path of compassion and service, standing by our heroes, and enhancing their lives through the incredible bond between man and dog.
We truly believe quality outweighs quantity, and the best way we have found to help curb Veteran and First Responder suicide is to help provide the best-trained SERVICE DOG to someone in need.
At Forgotten Coast K9, our coastline may have been forgotten
but our warriors never will be.
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Forgotten Coast K9 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Meet The Team
Chris O'Brian
CEO & Founder
After service in the USAF from 1988-1992, Chris went into the corporate world where he was in sales covering all major grocery stores chains in the Southeastern US. He transitioned to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office in Florida in 2012 where he rose to the rank of Patrol Sergeant and was the K9 Unit Supervisor for 2 years. Chris decided working dogs was his passion and founded Forgotten Coast K9 as a training company after completing Top Tier K9’s series of dog trainer courses. He is a Master Trainer and Instructor and experienced a series of events which allowed him to see the true impact of a properly trained service dog. Chris then made the decision to convert Forgotten Coast K9 into a 501(c)(3) and answer his calling to help others by raising funds which provide service dogs to veterans and first responders.
Tyler Moody
COO , Board Member
Tyler Moody is our COO, and has worked as a private military contractor. He is a Marine Corps veteran serving for five years, with one deployment to Afghanistan, and is a proud life member of the VFW. As a private military contractor, he has traveled all over the US working multiple disaster zones in direct response to disaster recovery, operating in Puerto Rico, Florida, Louisiana, and other locations. He has worked personal security details for fortune 500 companies, protecting executives and their assets. He has a huge passion for helping animals, veterans, first responders and believes working here fulfills his mission in life.
Julie Madison
Event Coordinator, Board Member
Julie Madison is a dog trainer, personal trainer, and swim coach based in Sarasota, Fl. She joined our team after certifying as a Foundation Dog Trainer through Top Tier K9. Julie helps Forgotten Coast K9 with event planning and fundraising, as well as guiding veterans and first responders during their two week live training. In her spare time, Julie enjoys solo distance open water swimming and rock climbing.
Patrick White
Board Member
Patrick White has served in Education for 29 years, in multiple school districts and spanning two states. He has spent 22 years in the classroom teaching Social Studies and Agriculture Education while holding positions of Lead Teacher, Department Head and Assistant Principal. Mr. White's experience is mostly in Title 1 schools in rural and urban areas throughout Georgia and Florida. He spent 6 years with the Georgia Department of Education as a curriculum writer specializing in Advance Placement curricula. Mr. White holds certifications in Social Sciences 6-12, Agriculture Education 6-12, Gifted Education, and Educational Leadership K-12. His formal education is Bachelor of Science in Education from Valdosta State University, Advanced Placement/ Gifted certification from University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and Masters in Education Administration from Lamar University in Beaumont Texas. He volunteers in his free time with Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), he loves spending time with his wife Kitty, his 5 children (Abi, Clay, Hannah, Kendall, William) and riding his Harley.
Carolyn Cabot
Board Member
Carolyn Cabot, a licensed veterinary technician and certified master dog trainer, has been breeding and training dogs for the last 17 years. She and her pack of 15 pups currently reside in Lexington, Kentucky. An Army veteran herself, Carolyn knows firsthand the healing power of dogs. She’s excited to join the team at Forgotten Coast K9 where her passion for dogs and for helping veterans are combined.