How the legacy of one legendary “devil dog” helped countless others at The Ddamien Project

The work of Krystal Tronboll and her husband Matt is widely known in the K-9 community. Their non-profit, The Ddamien Project, provides a loving home to dogs whose behaviour or health makes it impossible for them to be rehomed with previous handlers or civilian families. But what prompted the couple to take on this gruelling – and often – dangerous work? We spoke with Krystal about life on the ranch; her early years as a US Navy dog handler and the dog who started it all.

Krystal explains: “I had always been drawn to military service, particularly when 9/11 happened.” After spending her teens and early twenties working as a veterinary assistant and as a student to a local horse eventing trainer, her head was really turned when her brother – who was in the US Navy – told her about the military working dog program. “I couldn’t believe there were dogs in the Navy! I absolutely loved the idea of being a dog handler and I think at that point, I set my heart on the job.”

In 2006, Krystal found herself back at home with her mom and free to finally pursue her dream. “My brother took me to see a recruiter for the Navy and I left for bootcamp four days later. I was almost 27 years old.”

After starting Master-At-Arms “A” School (the Navy’s military police program) and waiting for her permanent duty assignment following graduation from bootcamp in February 2007, Krystal channelled everything into being selected for K-9. “I came up against a lot of resistance in the beginning. I was too old. I was a girl. I didn’t have what it takes. But I had my sights on K-9 and nothing else would do. Eventually, the program manager selected me personally to go forward to K-9 school – I don’t think I have ever been so happy!”

Problem Children

After graduating from K-9 school in July 2007, Krystal was stationed in Bahrain for her first taste of life as a dog handler. She was paired with her first partner – explosive patrol dog MWD Anna H273 but it was Krystal’s third MWD that would start to test out her mental fortitude when it came dogs with more complex issues.

Kira, the 50lb Belgian Malinois was a TSA washout and completely green to military training. She was known for being handler protective and having a bite record, which is why she had trained as a single purpose explosive detection dog.

“She loved biting above everything, so the theory was that – rather than indulging that side of her nature – we would avoid it altogether and focus solely on the explosive work.

“Kira also had some serious problems with authority – her obedience was almost non-existent. We had some work to do.”

Kira presented Krystal with some non-standard behaviours that weren’t taught out of Lackland. “I spent so much time with Kira, I started tuning into her and working more intuitively. She hadn’t received any bite training and had been discouraged to bite in general, but she loved playing with the bite tug and started realising that she would be paid with the tug if she did something good.

“I moved onto the bite sleeve and started doing some secret bite work with her. She absolutely loved it. Kira and I worked hard together and when I showed the instructors what she could do, they ended up putting her forward for dual certification – earning her patrol qualification.

“It was a proud moment for me”, explains Krystal. “One of the instructors asked how I had worked Kira and when I explained I’d just worked with my gut and bounced off her, they shared a package called Obedience Without Conflict, by Ivan Balabanov. It turned out I had started following the training without knowing it, so it was great to listen to the CDs and learn the latest techniques coming out of Lackland.”

Kira’s strength and stubbornness lit a spark in Krystal for working with so-called ‘problem’ dogs. “I have always been a pleaser and wanted to do well. In dog handling, that means following the steps and staying in your lane. But it felt good to use my own initiative to solve problems and work holistically.”

Krystal and Kira remained partners throughout Krystal’s two-year deployment in Bahrain, after which, she was stationed in CNRSW in San Diego, CA, where her talents as a master babysitter were utilised once more.

Double Duty

Word also spread to the veterinary team that Krystal had experience as a veterinary assistant, so she was often asked to step in and lend a hand. “I had some great experience with the vet team. They were fantastic teachers and I learned a lot. It also gave me chance to help out with some of the trickier clients.”

One dog, Tyson, was known for being big and dangerous. “He bit almost all of his handlers on the day he certified” recalls Krystal. “I would be asked to look after him for his handler and he was great for me. Tyson really hated the vet so I would lay him down and cover him with a towel so he couldn’t see the vet examine him – it worked a treat every time.

“I became the babysitter for the ‘problem children’. I guess you could say that at this point, I didn’t know to be afraid of them as they had never shown aggression towards me – that’s not to say that I didn’t maintain a healthy respect at all times.”

In August 2009, Krystal received her new assignment in San Diego, where she would join one of the busiest kennels in the whole of Navy K-9. Before she set to work, though, there was just enough time to take care of some very special personal business.

Love in the Desert

A popular mode of keeping in touch with friends, family and other service members while deployed was via the website Together We Serve, which is where Matt first contacted Krystal. “Matt was stationed on executive protection with 5th Fleet (NAVCENT) and had worked with my brother previously, so recognized my last name. We hit it off and started dating over in Bahrain. We belonged to different commands, so it was authorized.

When Krystal returned to the States in the summer of 2009, she and Matt tied the knot in Las Vegas. “I wanted to start my next duty station with my new name, so we made a quick stop in Vegas before moving into our new place in San Diego. I was ready to start our new life together and get to work at my next duty station.”

California Dreaming?

Krystal’s wish of getting stuck into her new assignment was to be granted immediately, as the kennel had taken receipt of 25 contractor dogs that needed a lot of work before they could start on certifying them.

Incredibly, 24 of the 25 former contractor dogs went on to certify with handlers – a fantastic result. The one dog that did not certify- MWD Bruce P033- would be adopted by Krystal and Matt, and several years later go on to earn his IPO1 schutzhund title. 

Shortly after the success of the contractor dogs, Krystal suffered a horse riding injury that required knee surgery, which put pay to her dog handling duties for a while. In fact, Krystal spent her last year of military service as a vet technician for the Army in San Diego “I needed to rest the leg while I waited for surgery so running dogs was out of the question. Late in 2010, the Army veterinary clinic had run into a manning issue, so they asked if they could loan me while I was out of action as a handler. It gave me a great distraction as it was really difficult to be around the kennels but not to work my dog.

“It was priceless in terms of training and exposure to dogs with a variety of health and behaviour issues. I absolutely loved my time there and little did I know that it was equipping me for the life that was picked out for me.”

Krystal was a dab-hand with some of the vet-aggressive dogs and her expertise and training meant that some kennel residents could receive care right there in the kennel, which alleviated their stress and that of their worried handlers. It was in this role that Krystal would meet the dog that would eventually change the course of her life.

Namesake

Krystal recalls: “Ddamien was a legend, known as a psychotic asshole that hated everyone. So, when the time came to give him his Frontline, me and two other handlers on base played Rock/Paper/Scissors to decide who got the job.”

Krystal drew the short straw and got the task of meeting Ddamien head on with his topical flea treatment. “The other handlers went around to the other side of the kennel building, ready to call for backup if things broke bad.

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“Using my best Disney voice and a cookie, I managed to hold Ddamien’s interest long enough to apply the treatment but the fear I had in that moment is something that would come back to haunt me when our paths crossed a little further down the road.”

The Woof Project

A spell volunteering for The Woof Project – a Belgian Malinois rescue in that operates across the West coast, would further hone Krystal’s talents with dogs that needed expert care and attention. It also provided a steep learning curve. “I had a sense that people looked at our MWDs with a sense of longing and that had led to some civilians taking on these dogs without understanding their complexities. I wanted to lend a hand and support the dogs that needed rehoming, so I started volunteering as a fostering assessor for dogs inside the shelter.”

The Devil Dog

In September 2010, while Krystal was working in the vet clinic, she got a call from her Navy captain, asking her is she would be willing to adopt Ddamien, known as the ‘devil dog of San Diego’. “This would be one of the first times that the Navy actively sought adoption for a dog with a bite history as colourful as Ddamien’s.

“I agreed immediately as this dog richly deserved a happy retirement.”

Ddamien, deployed eight times for his country from 2003-2009, including six deployments to Iraq. He was the first dog to be diagnosed with PTSD and had a stellar reputation as a patrol and explosive detector dog. “He deserves so much recognition that he received for his service. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. He left with me in the back of my truck in 2010 without any fanfare or fuss, which after six deployments, feels uncelebrated.”

Ddamien lived in a specially made kennel in the garage of their family home. “He came everywhere with me. He still hated everyone in the world but me – including Matt – which would often cause problems when I would fall asleep, cuddling up to Ddamien in his pen. Matt couldn’t get near me. Ddamien and I had a truly special bond and I always felt like I was in the presence of a legend.”

While caring for Ddamien, Krystal received another call from the Navy, asking if she would like to retire her former partner, Kira. Owing to her issues, Kira would face euthanasia. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind what we would do. I set it up and she flew to us from Washington State.”

In quick succession, Krystal was contacted to take a handful of other problem dogs who couldn’t be retired with civilian families, including the two Barrys (MWD Barry and MWD Barri).

Krystal and Ddamien spent two years together before Ddamien passed away in 2012. “It hit hard. He was such a special dog, with all of his quirks. I will always be in awe of his service so when it was time to make our arrangement official, Ddamien was the only name I would choose.”

Making it Official

After four years of adopting dogs, a friend of Krystal’s registered The Ddamien Project as a 501(c) non-profit. “My friend had watched us take on these dogs and fund everything ourselves and believed that we were serving a purpose that was bigger than us.”

Krystal and Matt moved to a ten-acre ranch to make more space for the dogs, which enabled them to keep saying yes when the calls came in. And the calls kept coming. K-9 from all branches of service had gotten wind of Krystal’s reputation and set-up and dogs were being flown from across the country to retire to The Ddamien Project.

“Not every adoption has been straightforward”, explains Krystal, “but the tricky cases have paved the way for other dogs to enjoy a happy retirement on our ranch. Dogs with aggression issues, serious bite records, health concerns and behaviours that would prove problematic outside of the world we’ve built.”

Ddamien’s World

So just what is it about Krystal’s setup that allows these otherwise problem dogs to thrive in the environment she and Matt have created? “We don’t place any expectations on the dogs. We just let them be dogs. I spend a lot of time earning their trust. Tasty treats like steak, rotisserie chicken roast lamb are firm favorites. I spend at least a couple of months with each new resident, familiarising myself with them and making them feel at home.

“Matt doesn’t go near the dogs throughout that time, so the responsibility is on me to take care of their every need.”

Matt and Krystal are a real team, setting up the Project and running it together. “Matt has never been a dog handler”, comments Krystal, “and some of these dogs would prove tough for the most experienced handlers and trainers in the whole of K-9, so I am extra cautious. This is also why we don’t have any hired help or volunteers on the ranch.

“I’m careful with our safety and so far, that care has paid off. We’ve not lost a single dog to euthanasia over a behavioural issue, which is something we are really proud of.”

The dogs are given their own slice of heaven on the ranch. “We don’t train them or ask them to tolerate something they don’t wany to. If they don’t like other dogs, we keep them separate. If they love toys, we give them a bunch of their own to play with. This is their time to be who they want to be and often, that freedom brings out the absolute best in their personalities.”

The Ddamien Project has been home to 47 retired MWDs, CWDs and police dogs so far and there is no sign of slowing down. “We moved to Texas earlier this year to give the dogs and our other animals some more space and we’re constantly evolving and improving the facilities to give the dogs the absolute best time we can.

“We compile and tick off bucket lists for each dog and they get to try out doggy diving if they want to! We provide as much enrichment as possible for these retired heroes and so far, our formula seems to be working!”

US War Dogs Association has been supporting some of the residents at the project with our Rx and Specialized Care Programs but earlier this year, the board agreed a package of support for the retired MWDs at the ranch that would help cover further costs and incidentals associated with their care. “The support we’ve received from US War Dogs has alleviated a huge financial headache for us”, Krystal said. “I am the fundraiser, bookkeeper, social media manager and kennel hand, so not having to worry about finding some of the money it takes to cover our costs, was a godsend.”

Chris Willingham, president of US War Dogs Association, said: “The work that Krystal and Matt have done to bring this project to life for retired MWDs is nothing short of miraculous. Their dedication means that dogs who gave their best years in service to our country can retire in peace and with dignity. I am so proud that our organization can help out and we look forward to supporting The Ddamien Project’s efforts as they go from strength to strength.”

At the end of a long day of caring for 21 dogs at the project (not to mention the horses, chickens, guineas, donkeys, a bull calf, goats and emus), Krystal kicks back and thinks of Ddamien. “He was my dog of a lifetime. My everything. I am proud that we get to carry his name forward in this way. He really was a true war hero and that I got to be a part of his story is something I’ll treasure forever.”

Good boy, Ddamien. And way to go, The Ddamien Project.