K9 Spotlight: Victor Marx

Victor Marx: Turning a Painful Past Into a Positive Future

Victor Marx is the president of All Things Possible, and his powerful story is as empowering as it is heartbreaking. Enduring various forms of abuse and torture since early childhood, Victor found himself immersed into a lifestyle fueled by drugs, fighting, and petty crime. Things were never easy, to say the least. Yet Victor was able to rise above his tumultuous past, and is now an accomplished author, filmmaker, public speaker, and founder of All Things Possible Ministries.

One of the key elements in Victor’s rehabilitation was joining the Marine Corps, after high school. This directly played a part in preparing him for identifying and preventing human trafficking in the U.S., as well as disciplining him for a mastery of martial arts. Victor’s time in the military also prepared him for high-risk overseas humanitarian work, with several successful missions to Iraq, Syria, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Victor Marx found a calling in helping to rescue women and children from ISIS-controlled sectors in Iraq. The first working canines he utilized on these missions were initially used as protection and security. It wasn’t long until it became clear that these dogs were also effective therapy animals. One such dog is Scout; a canine who has faced ISIS fighters, as well as assisted in the rescue of women and children who were seen playing with her just a few hours earlier.

Serving & Protecting

Victor recalls one such mission in Mosul, an Iraqi city approximately 250 miles north of Baghdad. The mission was to find and rescue a child whose parents had just been killed. After finding the boy, Scout protected him and was gentle around him. As they left the building, Victor and his team were surprised to see that the Iraqi fighters had captured an ISIS commander who was refusing to give up any information. Victor decided to let Scout within inches of the ISIS commander’s face. The dog’s intimidating growls and tensed up posture were enough to get the prisoner speaking. At one point though, the prisoner broke his hand ties. While the Iraqi fighters were preparing to draw and fire on him, Victor had Scout apprehend the prisoner, who stood down and allowed himself to have his hands bound again.

When Victor’s team was leaving Iraq at the Syrian border, they were stopped and told that they could not take their armored vehicles or weapons into Syria. Because of these stringent regulations, Victor made sure he brought the two things he knew they would need: a tomahawk and his dog. The team was able to make their way to an ISIS confinement camp where they provided resources and support for those who had been brainwashed by ISIS with their messaging. Because of his tumultuous upbringing, Victor has always believed that people can be helped out of even the darkest places, and if we stop atrocities overseas, it helps keep America safe in the long run.

Paying It Forward: The Benefits of Canine Work

Victor Marx also goes to military bases for canine demonstrations in an effort to help different military agencies understand the benefits of canine work. He’s partnered with Ray Allen Manufacturing for over a year because his work demands high quality K9 gear that he and his team can depend on.