The Rescue for PTSD is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Not a single cent of R4PTSD funds goes to any of the generous folks on this page. They all donate their time simply for their love of Veterans, dogs, and the mission of Team Rescue.

The Board:

Laura Murray | Founder & CEO

Laura is a recently retired geologist, and is very excited to be able to spend more time on her true passion – her animals.  For years, she spent most of her spare time riding & training her horses for eventing competitions or working with her Labrador Bolo, visiting local venues as a Therapy Dog Team.  She now trains Team R4PTSD pups and she & her baby, Tyton are a therapy team! Laura has had dogs as part of her family since she was born and has developed a knack for training them.  Coming from a military-background family, she thought it would be a great combination of skills and passions to train rescue dogs for Veterans in need.  Thus, The Rescue for PTSD was born!

Ret. SSG Brian Richards | President 

My name is Brian Richards, Gus Gus is my partner. We have been working together for a few years now and I can tell you that he has made such an amazing difference in my life. I am married to Nicole and we have three children and one grandchild. From the very start the Rescue for PTSD has felt like family to me. I served in the Army for 20 years and retired in 2016. I served 3 tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. As many of you know these furry partners are more than pets, they share an unconditional love just happy to be around us every day. I am honored to be the President of such an amazing organization with such amazing people. I look forward to the future of the Rescue for PTSD.

 Ed James | Vice President

Ed is freshly retired from a successful 35 year Real estate practice with his wife and partner Katy.  They have both been volunteers for the last 3 plus years with the Rescue.  Both are huge animal lovers and just rescued their current yellow lab, Milo.  Ed and Katy split their lives between their home in Texas and their home in Silverthone Colorado.  They both look forward to serving The Rescue for years to come!

 Aric Murray | Treasurer

Aric is a Principal at a consulting engineering firm in Houston – Smith, Seckman, Reid, Inc. – and when he’s not working, you can find him outdoors hiking or swinging a club.  He also enjoys fly fishing with his wife Laura, pheasant hunting with his Labrador Retriever Bolo, mountain biking, skiing, and supporting Laura at equestrian competitions.  Aric’s passions clearly involve getting outside and enjoying life with the family.  Wherever Aric & Laura go their Lab, Bolo has always been at their side, as they wouldn’t have it any other way! Now, Bolo has passed the torch to Tyton, who has big shoes to fill!

Mitzi Morton | Secretary

Mitzi is proud to serve as Secretary for The Rescue for PTSD.  Having owned many rescue dogs over the years, she knows  how much joy and companionship they can offer. By saving a dog’s life, she believes we can also save the life of a Veteran suffering from PTSD.  She has been a registered and certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist for 25 years.  She enjoys spending time with her dogs and family in her spare time.

 Samantha Scott | Director of Training

Samantha started training police dogs at a German Shepherd training facility in 2011. She then expanded her work to include training military and family dogs. She went to dog training school in 2015, where earned her Master Trainer certification. After training school, she opened Working Paws Canine Training. Sam is also a therapy dog team with her German Shepherd, Astrid. Sam and Astrid train all of our service dog teams, both canine and human components. They also oversee our monthly group classes, engage in Veteran check-ins, and ensure the important care and wellness of our dogs and Veterans.

Advisors:

Joseph Sewall | Advisor

Travis Verdin | Advisor

Andrew Moore | Advisor

Andrew is Vice President of Sales for Sierra Container Group, and continues the theme of family with the Rescue. He is partner to previous VP Jennifer Moore, father to Winston and Maverick (and Layla and Piper), brother-in-law to Holly and Jason Presley, and uncle to Hailey. He brings his sales and financial background to the Rescue, as well as his newly honed dog training skills, thanks to the help of Director of Training Samantha Scott and Founder/CEO Laura Murray.

Kurt Woods | Advisor

Kurt, like President Brian Richards, is one of our Team Rescue Veterans. He is paired with our beloved Honor. You can check out their story here. Kurt and his wife Peggy are the biggest givers in the Rescue family. They are continuously connecting us with more Veterans, sponsors, donors, and volunteers. And if that weren’t enough, they foster and train service dogs like Justice and have become parents to service dog Evie. Kurt, too, comes from a background in finance, helping the Rescue stay in tiptop shape and making our funds go to the best use to accomplish our mission. 

Volunteers and Fosters:

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