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.
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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.
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 a series of dog trainer courses through a local organization. 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.
Dr. Jim Hayes
Business Development, Senior Board Member
After attending West Point, Dr. Jim Hayes earned multiple degrees in English, Religion, Theology, and Divinity. He now serves as the Vice President of a distance education seminary in southwest Georgia, overseeing over 3,500 students daily. Dr. Hayes became a Certified Decoy through a specialized program and has been training dogs for over five years, including police apprehension and personal protection dogs for celebrities and executives. His passion for working with service dogs and their handlers led him to become a founding Board Member of Forgotten Coast K9.
Carolyn Smith
Training Director, 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.
Travis Llyod
Professional Dog Trainer, Board Member
Travis Lloyd is a Certified Master Dog Trainer, teacher, and forever a student of canine psychology and the science of modern dog training. Animals of all species have always been part of life and the magic of the human animal bond was shaped at a young age. He has always been intuitively sensitive to their needs and emotions. Travis grew up abroad with two brothers and parents who were enlisted in the United States Army. Prior to professional dog training, Travis worked in Israel for the US Embassy. Shortly after his time with The State Department he deployed to Afghanistan as a Government Contractor. It was in that war torn country he discovered a love for the Belgian Malinois that worked along side troops and contractors. Travis returned home after 8 years and found himself in need of a Service Dog. A very special Belgian Malinois named Cairo came into his life and he took on the task of training her on his own.
Lloyd has since gone on to complete the world renowned NePoPo Training School as a Gold Graduate and earn certifications in "Animal Health And Welfare" with The University Of Edinburgh and "Canine Cognition and Emotions" with Duke University. His education has allowed him to travel the world teaching people and helping countless dogs with complex training and behavioral issues. He is currently raising and training a puppy to compete in an amazing dog sport called Mondioring. " An open heart is a prerequisite to an open mind." - Robert Sapolsky
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.
Dale Sizemore
Board Member
Bio Coming Soon