Guardian Angels NAMED FINALIST FOR THE 2025 DEFENDER SERVICE AWARDS, PRESENTED BY CHASE

Defender proudly announces 25 finalists across five categories for the 2025 Defender Service Awards, presented by CHASE
As presenting partner, CHASE is awarding $5,000 to each of this year’s finalists to aid the impactful work of these nonprofit and charitable organizations
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs of Williston, FL, has been selected as a finalist in the Defender Service Honoree category.
Winners of the Defender Service Awards will be determined by public vote, open from October 3-19, 2025, with six category winners to receive a new Defender 130 vehicle and $30,000, thanks to the generosity of sponsors
Award sponsors, including Presenting Partner Chase, Premier Partner Artemis, and Category Sponsors ei3, Disney, Hearts & Science, Pelican, Outside Inc,. and S&P Global
Winners will be announced at Destination Defender on November 15, 2025, in Temecula, California

Williston, FL– September 30, 2025: Today, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs was announced as a finalist in the Defender Service Honoree category of the fifth annual Defender Service Award presented by CHASE. Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, raising, training, and donating highly skilled service dogs. Since 2010, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs has made nearly 450 life-saving pairings with veterans, first responders, and individuals living with both visible and invisible disabilities—at absolutely no cost to them. Each dog represents a $37,000 investment in transformative care, covering not just training but also ongoing support, including veterinary care, advanced training updates, and 24/7 mental health resources for recipients and their families. The organization’s work has been nationally recognized for its impact on suicide prevention, with zero suicides among recipients since its founding.

“Our mission goes far beyond training dogs—it’s about restoring hope, independence, and dignity for our veterans, first responders, and others in need,” said Mary Jo Brandt, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs. “Being recognized as a finalist for the Defender Awards is an honor, but it’s also an opportunity to raise awareness about the life-changing power of these pairings.”

The finalists across five categories are:

Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award – Presented by Disney

HIT Living Foundation – Toluca Lake, CA
Marine Mammals of Maine – Brunswick, ME
The Gentle Barn – Santa Clarita, CA
Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society – Vancouver, BC
WildCare Oklahoma – Noble, OK

Community Services Award – Presented by ei³

Feeding Northeast Florida – Jacksonville, FL
Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula – Pacific Grove, CA
Meta House, Inc. – Milwaukee, WI
Red Feather Development Group – Flagstaff, AZ
The Food Brigade – Paramus, NJ

Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services Award – Presented by Pelican

Amwell Valley Ambulance Corps – Ringoes, NJ
Boulder Emergency Squad – Boulder, CO
Chilliwack Search & Rescue – Chilliwack, BC
Pemberton Search & Rescue – Pemberton, BC
Sunshine Coast Search & Rescue – Sechelt, BC

Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach Award – Presented by Hearts & Science

Combat Recovery Foundation – Loveland, CO
Jason’s Box – Paris, KY
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans – St. Paul, MN
Project Sanctuary – Pagosa Springs, CO
Shelter to Soldier – San Diego, CA

Outdoor Accessibility & Education Award – Presented by Outside Interactive Inc.

Adaptive Adventures – Westminster, CO
Catalyst Sports Inc. – Atlanta, GA
City Kids Wilderness Project, Inc. – Washington, DC
North Carolina Adapted Sports – Cary, NC
Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada – Dorval, QC

A sixth category, Defender Service Honorees, recognizes past finalists from 2021 to 2024 and gives them another opportunity to win a custom Defender 130 vehicle and award funding. While these organizations did not win in their original categories, their ongoing impact and continued need for a capable vehicle make them strong candidates for a second chance at winning.

Category winners will be determined by a public vote, open from October 3-19, 2025. To learn more about The Defender Service Awards, watch the finalists’ videos and cast your vote, please visit https://www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/index.html

Each winner will receive a customized Defender 130 vehicle tailored to their needs, along with a $30,000 award to help advance their mission. The purpose-built Defender 130 vehicle will aid the winning organizations with its off-road capability and go-anywhere spirit, including features such as Terrain Response, 8,200 lbs of towing capacity¹, 89 cubic feet of cargo space, seating for up to 8, wading depth of 35.4 inches², and 11.5 inches of ground clearance to traverse the most challenging terrain.

Winners of the 2025 Defender Service Awards will be announced the evening of November 15, during a special evening celebration at Destination Defender. Held at Galway Downs in Temecula, California, November 14-16, 2025, Destination Defender is a weekend festival of the Defender lifestyle. Owners and enthusiasts can participate in the Defender Drive Experience, where they will test their off-roading skills on a challenging trail excursion. The weekend also features multiple stages of live music, culinary experiences, wellness activities, and more. Camping and glamping options are available for those who prefer sleeping under the stars. To learn more about Destination Defender, please visit: https://www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/destination-defender.html

For information on the Defender Service Awards presented by CHASE, visit https://www.landroverusa.com/experiences/events-and-sponsorships/defender-service-awards/index.html

¹Never tow beyond a vehicle’s permissible towing capacity. Before towing, please consult the owner’s manual or your local authorized Land Rover Retailer for more details.

²The Wade Sensing feature only detects depth of water the vehicle is in at the present time and not of water ahead or around vehicle. Driver is responsible for determining the conditions of the route being driven.

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About Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and providing medical service dogs for individuals living with disabilities, with a focus on U.S. military veterans and first responders. With an emphasis on enhancing the lives and independence of their recipients, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs has successfully paired hundreds of dogs with deserving individuals, making a positive impact on families and communities across the nation.

About Defender

Defender embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and seriously durable. A modern-day hero that respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future. Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own. The tough luxury Defender OCTA is the master of extreme performance – taking performance and capability to another level on and off-road. A beacon of liberty that can trace its roots back to the first Land Rover in 1948, Defender is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust. The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover – a mark of trust built on more than 75 years of expertise in technology and world-leading off-road capability. Defender vehicles are designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar.

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Mary Jo Brandt

Mary Jo has an extensive history working with the media as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Northern Illinois University. Mary Jo has worked for companies such as Gannett, News Bank Inc., E.W. Scripps Company, Lee Enterprises, Pulitzer, Inc., Arthur Andersen, and has been involved with Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc. since 2011. Ms. Brandt has had many hours of training in leadership, coaching, and mentoring. Her teams have consistently been highly effective in support of organizational mission and goals. She has one son, Paul who is currently in the Navy, and a daughter, Amanda in college and working full-time for a law firm in Naples. Ms. Brandt began volunteering with Guardian Angels after both her father and previous employer received a Guardian Angels Service Dog in 2011. Seeing the incredible difference service dogs could make in the lives of their recipients, she became involved through volunteering her time & talent to Guardian Angels. Ms. Brandt was then asked to join the Board of Directors and has served as a Board Member since 2013. Recently, Mary Jo has been named as a 2021 Patriot Scholarship recipient from Colorado Technical University. When asked why this scholarship and completing her Master’s Degree in Business Administration was so important to her, she responded, “This scholarship represents how important education is to our military/veterans and their families. I am honored to be part of this unique community. I am already in a career that demonstrates my commitment to helping others, I expect finishing this degree will allow me to be much more effective in my pursuit of working with our Veterans. This scholarship isn’t just about me. It is about how I can help others.” Today we face an even bigger challenge that none of us saw coming during the midst of the pandemic and worldwide economic collapse beginning to unfold. Yet again, Mary Jo is stepping up to the plate to be sure that our organization continues to serve those that need us, as we triumph in the face of untold adversity of today’s world. Businesses will only survive these difficult times because of leaders like Mary Jo.

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