Pint-sized Captain steers veteran through PTSD recovery

Larry and Captain poolside

Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, were no match for one little dog who gave his adopted veteran a new leash on life – and a fresh start decades after the Vietnam war. Oh Captain, my Captain! Life has an interesting way of bringing joy into our lives when we least expect it. Some might call it serendipity, a type of happy accident, such as seeing a old dear friend you haven’t seen in years at the grocery store.  Take, for instance, the story of an Ohio man and a foster dog. While visiting his cousin, Larry – an Army veteran from the Vietnam War – was Continue reading …

Cancer-stricken veteran finds ‘best bud’ in scrappy shelter dog

Johnny Charlotte Stanley 1

An Army veteran living with stage four cancer, Johnny needed something to help get his mind off the idea of living with disease. A scrappy little shelter dog the veteran and his wife, Charlotte, call their “Godsend,” turned out to be the right prescription. “That’s not my dog” When the couple first brought home Stanley, a mini-Schnauzer, they weren’t convinced that he was, in fact, a mini-Schnauzer as advertised at the shelter.  Stanley’s previous owner had passed away and the papers proving his pedigree status got lost. His grooming fell by the wayside, giving the three Continue reading …

Rescued dog helps Army veteran combat PTSD

Hunter smiling

It took a rescued dog named Hunter to help one Army veteran cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and reclaim some normalcy in his life. Dan joined the Army just out of high school in 1986 and served until 2007. He’s proud of his military service and his ability to help those in need, like the time he helped build a school in a small Honduran village. Another high point he recalls with great excitement was providing security for the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he met many of the athletes. “I served two years in Afghanistan as a combat engineer and I’m very proud I had Continue reading …

Pit bull heals Army veteran’s broken heart

Dale and Maximus Christmas

The much-maligned pit bull is pure myth for one veteran whose broken heart was made whole after the death of his beloved pet dog. Dale is a Vietnam veteran who enlisted in the US Army and served as a combat engineer in Germany from 1969 to 1972. Other than the time he spent in the Army, Dale had never lived without the faithful companionship of a dog. In June 2012, Dale and his wife, Sue, had to put to sleep their beloved 13-year old Doberman, Destiny, who had succumbed to old age. Dale was devastated by this loss. A house without a dog is not a home After Destiny passed away, Continue reading …

Vietnam veteran’s best friend is a cat, not a canine

Lawrence and Tweedy

It is often said that a dog is a man’s best friend, but for one Vietnam veteran a special needs cat – not a canine – fills that role. It is a sad truth that young, small and healthy cats and dogs are the first to be adopted at shelters across the country. This means older, large-breed and special need pets are left to either live out the rest of their lives in shelters or, even worse, are euthanized. Every year animal shelters throughout the United States care for approximately six to eight million dogs and cats, however, more than half are put to death because no one adopts Continue reading …

Navy veteran eases transition to civilian life with four-legged friend

Melina and Remi

Melina is a Navy veteran struggling to adapt to civilian life. When she was gripped with depression and began to isolate herself, she knew it was time for some four-legged intervention. Melina lives in Knoxville where she is pursuing a degree in criminology at the University of Tennessee. Her three cats, which she calls her “rambunctious felines,” keep her company while her husband is stationed in Virginia Beach. It seems like the typical life of a military spouse, but there’s more to this story. Upholding a family’s military tradition “My entire family has been in the Continue reading …

Dog lover makes room in his heart for a cat named Callie

Mark and Callie

A dual Marine-Army veteran  and dog lover learned that he had a soft spot for, of all things, a rescued Calico cat. The Vietnam-era Devil Dog - a term associated with the Marines since WWI for their legendary bravado in battle - found joy with the finicky feline, who's proving to have a personality as resilient as her savior. After serving in the Marine Corps from 1973 to 1975 and then the next eight years in the Army as a heavy–wheel vehicle mechanic, Mark separated from service with the rank of sergeant first class. The disabled veteran always fancied himself a dog person, but that Continue reading …

Cinnamon adds spice to life for one Navy couple

Christopher and Cinnamon

One Navy Vietnam veteran learned that a litte bit of cinnamon each day helped improve his health and his wife’s emotional well-being. His therapeutic dose wasn’t the kind that lends its powerful aromatic appeal to rolls, pies or chocolates, but was rather the four-legged variety. Christopher joined the Navy in March 1974 during the Vietnam War and served til March 1978. During his four years, he was attached to the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Five, known as the Seabees, out of Port Hueneme, California. “I was lucky not to have to go to war," he says, “but I still Continue reading …

Companion pet motivates Army veteran to live

Greg and Bebe

For one disabled Army veteran, a companion pet was all the inspiration he needed to make changes that would ultimately save his life. During the winter of his senior year in high school and with failing grades, Greg knew he wasn’t going to graduate. Driven by the desire to do something different than his seven siblings, he dropped out of school and joined the Army. “It was the one thing I did all on my own,” Greg says. Unlike high school, Greg sailed through basic training with flying colors. As promised to his mother, Greg earned his GED once he arrived at his first duty Continue reading …

Retired Army officer touched by once-homeless dog

Walter and Gracie

A retired Army Lieutenant Colonel was so moved by the plight of a homeless dog that he felt compelled to save her life. Water retired as Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Army after more than 20 years of service. He currently works for the Army Training Support Command as TRADOC Capabilities Manager at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where he draws upon his vast military experiences, includes serving worldwide as a Field Artillery Officer and Comptroller. Among Walter’s more memorable experiences in the service was working with the 528th Field Artillery Group and the First Turkish Continue reading …

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