Our Team

Miriah Allamong

Director

After spending most of my life training dogs for war, it was time to save them when they came home from battle. I realized that not only the dogs I trained for combat needed homes but the countless Veterans who lost their sense of home after the war and the war within they still battled. The IGY6 battle buddies for life meant something it was forever.

I have been training dogs for 22 years and working with Veterans for most of that.
I trained all dogs in all aspects of explosives, narcotics, search and rescue, bedbugs, and weapons, to name a few.

In 2010, I rescued my original war dog, Dax, who had returned from 6 tours in Iraq. He had been abandoned, neglected, and placed in a shelter. After being torn apart, we were finally reunited. I saw he had changed as the war never left his eyes. He had nightmares, and it took me a year to make him ok, and he died shortly after. At this time, I was working with Veterans and helping them get service dogs. I saw the same war in their eyes. I knew I had to do something.

So from 2010 to the present, I have been working hard to make a difference as I have helped rescue 1500 war dogs and 1200 shelter dogs across the US and placed them with Veterans and families. It is my honor to continue this mission with War Dog Guardians and the passionate team that’s helped my dream to continue the fight against the battles that Veterans and Military Working Dogs face every day.

Max Fisher
Deputy Director and Secretary

After getting kicked out of the Former Soviet Union for his anti-communist fervor at age 4, Max Fisher landed and grew up on the mean streets of NYC. At age ten he started a dog walking business on the Upper West Side to help pay for his love of Transformers, comic books and Hubba Bubba chewing gum. Later, he would love Amber, a beagle who lived with his family till the age of 17. Throughout the years, Max would go on to help train his family members’ dogs. But his life changed when he adopted his current babies, Athena and Kage – 2 former Military War Dogs who served in Afghanistan – through a chance (or was it?) encounter with our Director Miriah Allamong, effectively becoming the first “Honorary War Dog Guardian.”

Cassie Miller

Chairwoman

Cassie Miller is a graduate of Marshall University with a BA in Education with an Emphasis on
English/Language Arts. Cassie taught middle school in Huntington, WV and coached middle
school track and field. While teaching, she served in various committees and leadership roles.

She has been an active member in her community, serving as Junior League of Huntington’s board
member & President, a member of the Marshall Artists Series, and currently the Chairperson of
the Local School Improvement Council at Huntington High School. She is married and has three
children and two Great Danes, Penny and Tux.

Anne Thompson

Treasurer

Anne has a Masters in Accountancy from Wichita State (2009).

She is currently an associate auditor for the Loyd Group doing county, city and school district auditing, consulting, and budgets in the state of Kansas. Furthermore, Anne also teaches online for Bellevue University & Cowley Community College.

Anne’s husband has been serving in the US Air Force for over 25 years. Anne and her husband have 3 children, a senior in college, a freshman in high school and a 6th grader, and will gain a son-in-law in June! They have 2 dogs that are a part of their family…Brier, a mini golden doodle and Baxter, a Boston Terrier.

Anne serves as a Key Spouse in the Air Force. She also helps coach her daughter’s volleyball team and volunteers her time at her children’s schools.

As a military spouse, Anne is excited to serve in an organization that is committed to serving some of our forgotten veterans, the K9s that have served alongside their Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor, or Guardsman in combat.

Wes Thompson

Director of Communications

Wes Thompson is a marketing professional having owned his own ad agency since 2012. 

Wes sees working with War Dog Guardians as an honor and he looks forward to seeing how many veterans the organization can help.

Wes is married with two daughters and two hounds, Buckley and Hubert.

Andrea Garrett

Director of Outreach and Government Affairs

Old dogs are her favorite. Andrea’s most recent was her Lab/Beagle mix, Emma, who she rescued from a parking lot as a puppy. Emma was diagnosed with bladder cancer at age 8 and given a 6-month life expectancy. After Andrea poured herself into all things dog health, she became an expert in holistic canine care which propelled her to become Emma’s personal chef for the remaining 8 years of Emma’s high-quality life!

Denise Pettijohn

Legal Counsel
Denise Pettijohn is a graduate of Indiana University and Tulane Law School. She is an attorney who represents children in abuse and neglect cases.  Denise lives in Lewisburg, West Virginia with her three dogs, Nell and Sam, labrador-mastiff mix (mastador) and Jane, cane corso.

 

Curtis Workman

Deputy Director of Outreach and Government Affairs
Curtis Workman is a political consultant and operator from Charleston, West Virginia where he lives with his spouse Angela and his three dogs: Kita, a “Shepinois”, Ash, a rough collie, and Lady, a retriever shepherd mix that was found injured.

He serves as the Executive Director of the WV Faith & Freedom Coalition and has previously served as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives. Curtis is a former Chef, serving as sous chef at Charleston’s premier country club. He has also volunteered on numerous fire departments and is a certified firefighter in West Virginia.

Curtis’ love for animals spawns from early in his childhood. A child of the Appalachian mountains and southern WV coalfields, a deep appreciation and love for the outdoors and nature’s inhabitants was a trait learned early. Curtis is the son of a marine, and has multiple veterans in his family spurring his admiration and deep appreciation for America’s humility heroes – both K9 and otherwise.