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AIPROPX ReportABC7 Los Angeles · 2h ago
Warrior Canine Connection continues partnership with Tee It Up for the Troops
ABC7 Salutes Warrior Canine Connection continues partnership with Tee It Up for the Troops By Sir Lex Kennedy Monday, August 24, 2026 9:57PM Warrior Canine Connection shares gratitude to Tee it Up for the Troops HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Rick Yount, Founder and Executive Director of Warrior Canine Connection, a Veterans Service Organization that serves Veterans nationally through service dog training and placement shares gratitude for their partnership with Tee it Up for the Troops for the fourteenth year.
"About 14 years ago that, Tee it Up, began its support for our mission, and have been steadfast partners and contributing to our success and helping us to do what we do.," said Rick.
"Warrior canine connection. We're a nonprofit. We're headquartered in Maryland, but we serve veterans nationally. We breed, train and play service dogs for veterans. And, we have a unique form of animal assisted therapy we call mission-based trauma recovery, where veterans actually participate in helping to train service dogs for fellow veterans.," he said.
The Mission Based Trauma Recovery program addresses the core symptoms of invisible wounds through the training of service dogs. The Warrior Canine Connection program engages service members suffering from PTSD and TBI in the training of service dogs for veterans with mobility impairments.
The success of the MBTR program led to the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act being signed in to law by the President in 2021.
ABC7's own Phillip Palmer was this year's Tee It Up for the Troops emcee. He even took a few swings of his own with the players and veterans.
Mark and Leslie Mayes founded the tournament 14 years ago. It's now donated more than $4 million to several organizations that support veterans like Warrior Canine Connection.
"A sponsor here that's sponsored us for years, lost his military son, and we were able to connect them with Warrior Canine Connection. And they actually named a puppy after his son named Ranger." Leslie Mays shared with us.
"He was a full-blown ranger. And how poetic is that? That we were able to actually get a dog ranger as a tribute. It was just really heartwarming.'" said Mark.
The tournament is meant to honor those sacrifices and help veterans heal. And this year they expanded to not only a golf and tennis tournament, but they've added pickleball due to its popularity.
To learn more and support the efforts of Warrior Canine Connection please visit, warriorcanineconnection.org
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