FORT EUSTIS — Leader is a 7-year-old Rottweiler, former grand champion show dog and a therapy dog. She is also the USO’s 2024 Canine Volunteer of the Year.

The USO Canine Program was launched in 2023 and includes therapy dogs, family pets and military working dogs who support service members and their families. In March, Leader — one of 13 canine volunteers at Fort Eustis — was announced as the United Service Organizations’ top canine volunteer.

Leader, who turns 8 in September, has been a therapy dog since she was 2 years old. Outside of being a USO canine volunteer, Leader works as a crisis response canine with groups such as Mutts With A Mission, the Red Cross and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS.

As a crisis response canine, Leader is trained to be around gunfir

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