Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joe Gionti. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joe, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Having and absolute love and admiration for anyone who has chosen to wear our nations uniform (Veterans) and/or the uniforms of their local communities (First Responders) as well as love for dogs led to the founding of K9 Heroes 4 Heroes. Seeing what these dogs are capable of doing for our Veterans and First responders is nothing short of amazing. It seems as if the abilities of dogs are endless. Seeing Service Dogs allowing those who need them to enter back into society as they want drives our mission.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I grew up with a strong sense of Patriotism. As I learned more about the family history one of my great grandparents, while still and Italian citizen, served in the American Army during WWI. After leaving the Army he applied for and became and American Citizen. This would be followed up by great uncles serving during WWII. This would be followed by my father serving in the Army. I am a life long Martial Artist and my instructor was a local police officer and then a sheriffs deputy. I would spend some time at the Virginia Military Institute where many of my classmates would go on to serve.
All these would further instill in me the love of country and all who have served the nation or our community. Later in life I would have my German Shepherd trained by a local trainer who was also an veteran. This would ignite the fire to figure out how I could serve those who have served us. At this point in life I was too old to serve in the military or as a first responder.
We needed an ambassador for K9H4H. That is where Loki would come in and fill the roll perfectly. He was purchased as a puppy with the intention to be my Service Dog and the face of the organization. I would begin to understand more and more dogs capabilities and start working with American K9 Dynamics. This full Service Kennel would become integral in the success of K9 Heroes 4 Heroes. We would begin to see how we could collaborate between K9 Heroes 4 Heroes and American K9 Dynamics. Other nonprofit Service Dog companies have also reached out to lend advice and help us to move forward.
I would begin to attend various events locally as well as out of state. We would increase our social media presence and spread the word of our mission. This would lead to my VP Meghan Wald coming on board after learning about our mission. This has led to donations from local and national donors. We continue to talk with anyone willing to hear our story and learn about what amazing things these dogs can do for our Veterans and First Responders. This mission cannot be accomplished without all our current supporters.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe a quality is knowing what you do not know. I went into this with a rudimentary understanding of how to start a business and how to truly train these amazing animals. You cannot think you are the authority on everything and must be willing to reach out to the respective experts in the area of concern.
Having a passion to serve others. Put your ego aside and understand there is a greater purpose in life than our own self interests. Understand that everyone is going through their own struggles. No one persons struggle should diminish someone else’s. Having faith is a driving factor in my life.
Willingness to continue with your education. Whatever field of study or work you are doing there is always more that can be learned. Do not think just because that is how it has always been done is how it has to continue. We are learning more and more about dog cognition and the best ways to train.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
We are always looking to collaborate with individuals, organizations and/or companies to help spread the word of our mission and raise funds. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit we are completely funded through charitable donations. The cost to train these dogs and their handlers can range from $15k – $30k and up depending on level of training required. Doing this work while maintaining a full time day job can be a challenge. There is a term “administration donor” whose funds go towards all the administration cost. This allows the remainder of the donations to go towards the dogs and handlers. If we found such a donor it would allow me to work at K9 Heroes 4 Heroes full time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.k9heroes4hereos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k9h4h/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/K9H4H
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k9h4h/
- Twitter: @k9h4h
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@K9H4H
Image Credits
The image of Loki and I sitting with the dark background: Huston Creative Group
