Freedom Dogs
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Meet Beth
For 20 years Beth Russell, RN, has been speeding the recovery and enhancing the lives of wounded warriors through the life-changing bond of a specially trained service dog. A former critical care nurse in the Surgical ICU/Trauma unit at UC San Diego Medical Center, Beth founded Freedom Dogs in 2006 after witnessing the invisible wounds so many service members carried home from combat. With both of her parents being World War II veterans, the military community had always held a special place in her heart. Today she serves as Founder, President, and Lead Trainer, and continues to operate the only formal, ongoing partnership of its kind with the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Battalion-West at Camp Pendleton.
Beth Russell
Founder, Lead Trainer, Board Member
In 2006, Beth Russell, RN — a critical care nurse in the Surgical ICU/Trauma unit at UC San Diego Medical Center — saw the invisible wounds so many service members carried home from combat. With both of her parents being World War II veterans, the military community had always held a special place in her heart.
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Driven by compassion and a deep desire to help, Beth founded Freedom Dogs. What began as a passionate vision has grown into one of the most trusted and unique service-dog programs in the nation — the only organization with a formal, ongoing partnership with the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Battalion-West at Camp Pendleton.
A personal Journey of Love and Service
Beth’s path to founding Freedom Dogs was deeply personal. As a critical care nurse in the Surgical ICU/Trauma unit at UC San Diego Medical Center, she witnessed firsthand the invisible wounds so many service members carried home from combat. With both of her parents having served in World War II, the military community had always held a special place in her heart.
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Beyond her nursing career, Beth has always been a passionate and creative animal trainer. Over the years she trained not only dogs, but cats, stray wild birds, chickens, horses, and even several goats — always searching for new, positive ways to teach animals new skills. When she saw how powerfully service dogs could support wounded warriors during recovery, the transition felt completely natural.
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Today, more than 20 years later, Beth continues to serve as Freedom Dogs’ Founder, President, and Lead Trainer. She remains hands-on with every aspect of the program — raising puppies, training dogs, and working directly with warriors — because she still believes, as strongly as she did in 2006, in the healing power of one loyal service dog.
The People Behind
Freedom Dogs