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Jon T. Harris

Goodreads Author

Born

in Houston, Tx, The United States

Website

https://www.dispatchfromdowrange.com

Genre

Memoir, Thriller, Self Help

Member Since

January 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/goodeadscomjonharris

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Jon Harris’ life has never followed a straight line. He enlisted in the military at 30, became a law enforcement officer, survived a devastating on-duty crash, and battled the kind of PTSD that turns every day into a fight. When the world felt too heavy, he made a decision that surprised even him. He volunteered for a war zone. As a contract dog handler in Afghanistan and later Iraq, he found a strange kind of healing in the rhythm of missions, the structure of service, and the loyalty of his K-9 partners. Uzo, Jack, and later Mad weren’t just working dogs; they were lifelines in places where the ground could erupt at any moment. When injuries ended that chapter, he reinvented himself again. At 60, he entered law school, pushed through reco Jon Harris’ life has never followed a straight line. He enlisted in the military at 30, became a law enforcement officer, survived a devastating on-duty crash, and battled the kind of PTSD that turns every day into a fight. When the world felt too heavy, he made a decision that surprised even him. He volunteered for a war zone. As a contract dog handler in Afghanistan and later Iraq, he found a strange kind of healing in the rhythm of missions, the structure of service, and the loyalty of his K-9 partners. Uzo, Jack, and later Mad weren’t just working dogs; they were lifelines in places where the ground could erupt at any moment. When injuries ended that chapter, he reinvented himself again. At 60, he entered law school, pushed through recovery, and eventually became a prosecutor proving that your age, your injuries, and your scars don’t define your limits.

Today, he uses his story to remind others that even when life breaks you open, you can still build something meaningful from the pieces. He settled in NJ for ten years with his wife Katherine and son Joel. As is normal with many military veterans, he bounced between several occupations trying to fill a void. Jon started several ventures during that time. The most successful was centered around a tactical paintball company that he and his son started. This brought the family to Texas where he lives now with his best friend and partner of over thirty years, Katherine. His son, now an officer in the U.S. Army and a graduate of West Point, is embarking on his own military career. Before the military he was a police officer in Texas. After the military he found himself returning to his first profession as a law enforcement officer. He started the canine unit for the Gonzales Texas Constable’s Department and worked as a narcotics interdiction canine officer in a high intensity drug trafficking area (HIDTA). While on duty, Jon was involved in a horrific vehicle accident where he and his canine were trapped in the patrol vehicle. Jon credits his survival to his canine partner he had with him that day. After months of physical recovery Jon found the mental issues associated with the accident interfering with his ability to do his job. The TBI and PTSD from the accident worsened the longer he was on the street. At the suggestion of his therapist, he took a position as a military contractor in South West Asia. There he is again with a trusted four legged partner searching for narcotics or explosives. These articles are a chronicle of life in the “unofficial” war zone.

Jon’s love for writing started when he was in Germany where he authored his first novel Breakpoint available at most major booksellers on the internet such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon. He has written articles for several publications as well as short stories. This site is a collection of articles from his long time running column “Dispatches from Downrange” published in one of the local newspapers in Texas and also included in his latest book, A Year Behind the Leash, the story of a contract dog handler in Afghanistan and Iraq doing the work and winning the fight against PTSD with the help of his dog. ...more

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Jon T. Harris’s books

Average rating: 4.92 · 211 ratings · 120 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	A Year Behind the Leash: : Winning the battle on PTSD with the help, of my war dog partner 4.96 avg rating — 95 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Graveyard Shift: if you ever wanted to know what police officers actually do when the rest of the world sleeps, the graveyard shift will show you. 4.85 avg rating — 34 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ride-Along: What You Learn 4.96 avg rating — 27 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Real Police Patrol: Lessons from the Street 4.76 avg rating — 25 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Breakpoint it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2008 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	THE DOG ALWAYS KNOWS : A Handler's Memoir: A Law Enforcement and Contract Canine Handler's Journey Through War Zones and Drug Wars it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 10 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jon Harris rated a book it was amazing The Ride-Along: What You Learn by Jon T. Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 14, 2026 11:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Ride-Along by Jon T. Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Ride-Along by Jon T. Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jon Harris rated a book it was amazing A Year Behind the Leash: : Winning the battle on PTSD with the help, of my war dog partner by Jon T. Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 14, 2026 11:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Year Behind the Leash by Jon T. Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Year Behind the Leash by Jon T. Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jon Harris liked Lauren Scott's review of A Year Behind the Leash: : Winning the battle on PTSD with the help, of my war dog partner: "A Year Behind the Leash: The True Bond Between a Soldier and His Dog Through the Trauma of War and PTSD by Jon T Harris is one of those rare memoirs that doesn’t just tell a story, it immerses you in a lived reality that feels raw, unfiltered, and de" Read more of this review »
May 03, 2026 07:33AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Year Behind the Leash by Jon T. Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Year Behind the Leash by Jon T. Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jon Harris made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Help restoring my 4 books to my Goodreads author page topic " Thanks I really appreciate "
May 03, 2026 06:53AM
Jon Harris has read THE DOG ALWAYS KNOWS : A Handler's Memoir: A Law Enforcement and Contract Canine Handler's Journey Through War Zones and Drug Wars by Jon T. Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 02, 2026 02:16PM · like
Jon Harris made a comment on Viara Cole’s review of The Ride-Along: What You Learn " Thank you "
Apr 29, 2026 07:50AM · see review
Jon Harris liked Viara Cole's review of The Ride-Along: What You Learn: "I picked this up expecting something in the vein of true crime or a gritty procedural. What I got instead was something far quieter and far more valuable. The Ride Along: What You Learn is not trying to impress you. That restraint is exactly what mak" Read more of this review »
Apr 29, 2026 07:50AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Ride-Along by Jon T. Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Ride-Along by Jon T. Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jon Harris wants to read The Ride-Along: What You Learn by Jon T. Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 25, 2026 05:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Ride-Along by Jon T. Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Ride-Along by Jon T. Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jon Harris made a comment on Emily’s review of The Ride-Along: What You Learn " Thank you. The stories in the book are true. They are as close to how things happened as I can remember. "
Mar 24, 2026 09:17AM · see review