Tyson DeFrance is the warehouse manager for Boss Dog Brand, the California-based pet brand that creates a wide assortment of dog and cat products with probiotics and other beneficial ingredients, including frozen yogurt for pets and raw goat milk.

Pet Age recently spoke with DeFrance to learn more about how he joined the Oregon National Guard and worked in a variety of jobs before finding a home in the pet care community.

What was a memorable experience for you as a member of the National Guard?

That would be one of the last raids in Baghdad on my first deployment. It was 2004, and my first year-long deployment was coming to an end. We [Oregon National Guard] were attached to a Marine unit south of Baghdad in an area called Mahmudiyah. This is where we spent the last 45 days, living in and around buildings that had collapsed from the initial invasion. We were setting ourselves up to conduct a large-scale raid on the local village as they were suspected to be stockpiling a cache of weapons. In preparation for this raid, one night while conducting patrols in black out – meaning we were driving with no white lights, only infrared lights with night vision goggles. We stopped along a road, and we discreetly let two sniper teams out at opposite ends of this village. These snipers sat, crawled and observed the activity within the village for what I recall being four days leading up to the actual raid. The morning of the raid, we all grouped up around 0300 and set the stage. We had units set up around the village, and the objective was to rush the village moments before sunrise. When given the green light to go, the adrenaline kicked in. I recall driving to my assigned area and, just before bringing my Humvee to a stop, I threw the e-brake on and jumped out while we were still rolling. I was set to clear three buildings with one other man while we left the gunner in the Humvee to provide cover. While we were clearing our three buildings, the other buildings in the village were being simultaneously cleared. At this point, I was experiencing a full-on out-of-body experience. I could see myself moving from what felt like a camera above and behind me just like you would see in a video game. We ended up recovering tons of ammunition. We successfully detonated the arms cache, and it left a massive crater in the ground.

How would you describe being a go-go dancer in 2010 in Portland, Oregon?

After leaving the military service, while living in Portland, Oregon, I was still chasing adventure and adrenaline. I found myself looking for employment outside the typical 9 to 5. There was no way I was ready for a “regular” job. I was still young and in “party mode.” I had friends, both men and women, who were making decent money and having fun by go-go dancing. I did this for a little less than a year, as the money was lucrative, but I lost interest. It’s hard to work night after night, and I feel that the lack of cleanliness in the nightclubs contributed to constantly having a cold or some sort of illness. I learned a lot of insight and perspective, and for that, I am thankful.

Was it difficult going from your job at a cannabis dispensary to working in the pet industry?

The transition from cannabis to pet was not difficult. I worked in cannabis in Oregon when it was strictly available to medical patients and caretakers. When the laws changed, I lost interest in cannabis once it became available to anyone 21 and over. I never felt that cannabis should be illegal, but the overall feel and conditions that changed with the laws cause me to lose interest in it. I returned to school for business, and that is how I ended up in the pet world. I do not ever see myself doing anything else. The pet industry is fantastic and filled with great people.

What is the story of Ducky the Cavalier Spaniel?

I stayed with a friend one night while on leave from the service. He had an older brother who was away at college and had left his dog at his mom’s house, where I was staying that night. The dog was a ruby Cavalier King Charles named Karma. After returning from our evening out, my buddy said I could sleep in his brother’s room. I left the door cracked that night, and Karma came creeping in shorty after I laid down. She jumped up on the bed and slept at my feet, and I swore to myself that once I was out of the service and grounded that that was the dog I needed. I got out of the service in April 2010, and that June I got my cavalier, Ducky. Ducky played a vital role in life and my reintegration back into civilian society.