Dylan Cade Bates

Dylan Cade “Blonde in Blue” Bates is the founder and managing partner of Badges & Breakthroughs, Inc., a Maryland nonprofit corporation and 501(c)(3) status pending is a nationwide peer support, coaching, service dog provider, therapy, training, educational, and consulting resource for first responders, veterans, and their families.

With nearly a decade in law enforcement—from seven years working in Washington, D.C., to three years in Bethel, Alaska—Dylan served in a range of roles including Patrol, Crime Abatement Teams, Investigations, Hostage and Crisis Negotiation, Sexual Assault and Crimes Against Children Investigations, Death and Homicide Investigations, Critical Incident Response, Field Training Officer, Police Training Instructor, and Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Coordinator. Having stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder with responders at their best and worst moments, she’s seen the toll the job can take on mental health, relationships, and identity.

Medically resigned from law enforcement, Dylan turned that lived experience into a mission: to make sure responders never have to walk through their hardest moments alone. A counselor‑in‑training with a background in terrorism and homeland security policy and forensic psychology, she’s pursuing licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor with a specialization in supporting first responders and their families. Before joining law enforcement, Dylan also volunteered as a firefighter and EMT with Stonewall Jackson Fire Company 511—continuing a lifelong dedication to service.

At Badges & Breakthroughs, Dylan leads the vision, training, and consulting programs, as well as peer support services, helping agencies build sustainable peer support teams and wellness programs while supporting individual responders through burnout, trauma, transition, and life after the badge. She’s also the host of the Badges & Breakthroughs Podcast and the creator of the Badges & Breakthroughs Nationwide Peer Support Network, where real stories from the field are used to break stigma and foster connection.

Beyond her professional mission, Dylan has a deep passion for the healing connection between humans and animals — especially dogs. Her dual certified service and therapy dog, Ace, is her steadfast partner in every endeavor (really, they come as a package deal). Together, they embody the compassionate presence Dylan brings to her work and community. This love for animals has also sparked one of her most personal projects yet: Badge & Bone — a two-part initiative so far. Second Chance Service Dogspartners with kill shelters and specialized professional trainers to rescue dogs from death row, match them with first responders and veterans in need, and train them for lifesaving service and emotional support. The Partnership Never Ends: K9 Retirement & Reintegration Program honors the service of retired law enforcement K9s by helping them decompress and transition into life at home — teaching them to leave the job behind, release the constant state of alertness, and simply be dogs again, safe, relaxed, and at peace alongside the handlers who love them.

She is a member of the American Psychological Association, World Innovative Psychotherapy Association, Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, Society for Police and Criminal Psychology, and the Professional Law Enforcement Association. More than anything, Dylan is driven by one belief: connection saves lives—and when we take care of each other, we can keep showing up for the communities we swore to protect.