Army Veteran Cries After Getting Service Dog

It takes incredible strength and sacrifice to serve in our nation’s military. These men and women truly step up when they are needed and give all of themselves to defend our freedom. But this job isn’t always easy.

Military men and women come face to face with some of the world’s greatest dangers and see some pretty horrific things. Once they return to civilian life, many people are left with some post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD. It can be hard to adjust to a normal life and routine after being in the military for so long. And there are also memories and images that are difficult to shake.

One option that seems to help lots of veterans is service dogs. Service dogs are trained to help people with disabilities or emotional stress. They can sense when their owner is having issues and they use comforting and stress-relieving techniques to calm the person down. But these incredible animals can cost anywhere from $20,000-30,000 so not everyone has to opportunity to get one.

Rudy is a veteran who served for ten years in the army. He was deployed twice to Iraq. After he returned home, Rudy started suffering from night terrors and depression. He hoped to get a service dog to help, but didn’t expect to get one because of the cost. That’s when his children gave him the ultimate surprise and it left him in tears.

I’m so glad that this serviceman is able to get the help he needs and I know this new dog will be a devoted and loved part of the family.