"Welcome Home" is a self-initiated artist residency, with the Brooklyn Veterans' Center, inspired by my frustration with the Iraq war and foreign policy folly. Thinking about veterans/civilians and relationship between trauma and healing effects of connecting with animals - as well as reflecting on my own experiences with animals - resulted in my idea of setting up a dog adoption service for local veterans. I googled and cold-called the Brooklyn Veterans Center and, fortuitously, ended up talking to Kevin O'Brian at the other end of the line, who asked, "When can you come in?"

I arrived the next day with my two rescue dogs, Alice & Alvin, one a barker, the other not housebroken - both loving and immediately welcomed to the community at the Brooklyn Veterans Center in Dumbo, Brooklyn.