A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of Koch Family Kennels and the K9s for Warriors program was held at Bravo Zulu House west of Winnebago on Friday, Aug. 21 with many people who were involved in the project on hand to join in on the celebration.

The Bravo Zulu House, located west of Winnebago, celebrated the grand opening of the Koch Family Kennels and while also marking Bravo Zulu House’s new collaboration with K9s for Warriors.

Prior to the official ribbon cutting ceremony, a number of speakers shared their personal experiences and why they feel so strongly about supporting Bravo Zulu House’s continuing efforts to help veterans rebuild their lives following their treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.

Retired United States Air Force Major General Marie Banavige was the first speaker at the event after being introduced by Bravo Zulu servant leader Tim Murray. Banavige praised and thanked all of the people who had made Koch Family Kennels and the K9s for Warriors program a reality.

K9s for Warriors is the nation’s largest provider of trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. With a majority of dogs being rescues, this innovative program allows the K9/Warrior team to build an unwavering bond that facilitates their collective healing and recovery.

“It’s an incredibly rigorous program to have a dog go all the way from a beautiful puppy to pass all the medical, temperament and training checks all the way through to become a service dog,” Banavige explained. “We are blessed to have Kolbe as a station dog, where they will live here and provide great therapy dog services and all around love for our veterans that live here.”

Dan Bean, the CEO of K9s for Warriors, said it is all about saving veterans’ lives.

“As we approach 1,400 lives saved, and at the other end of the leash, 2,500 dogs rescued,” Bean said, “We primarily rescue the dogs and rescue the warrior, and that’s why we save lives at both ends of the leash.”

Also on hand representing Koch Family Kennels was David Koch who shared that his father had a military background having served in the United States Navy. Koch shared the Koch family was happy to be partnering with K9s for Warriors and the Bravo Zulu House in support of our nation’s veterans.

Also at the event was Kolbe, who is the new station dog at the Koch Family Kennels.

Those in attendance also received an update on the Bravo Zuly women’s house scheduled to be constructed in Mankato.

“We are scheduled to close on a property on Wednesday of next week,” Bravo Zulu Board vice-chair Holly Callen reported.

Following the ribbon-cutting, people were invited to tour the facilities.

Opened in May of 2025, the Bravo Zulu House is the nation’s first sober living home specifically designed for military veterans recovering from addiction and co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder. It combines peer support with formal counseling, dog therapy, hydroponic gardening, and healthcare partnerships via the Mayo Clinic Health System.