A Service Member and His Dog
We’ve been so honored to be part of one very special Veteran’s life for the past few years. Alex is a combat Veteran who served in the Iraq War. When he left the battlefield, the fighting continued in his head. Alex suffers from PTSD, seizures, and depression.
In 2018, we had the honor of helping Alex find some peace and happiness with a service dog. Through The Malinois Foundation, a charity that supports Veterans with PTSD, we helped sponsor the purchase and training of a beautiful service dog named Cooper the Great (pictured above with Alex). Cooper is part Belgian Malinois, a common breed for military work dogs. Alex began working with Cooper as a young dog. After three years of intense training, Cooper did exalt to greatness. He learned to spot and respond to all of Alex’s needs. Today, Cooper knows when to calm Alex when he’s feeling anxious, spring into action when Alex has a seizure, and even give Alex a hug and a lick to cheer him up when he is down. Cooper shows Alex every day that a service dog can be a constant companion, a best friend, and even a lifeline.
Older Dog, New Tricks
As canine lifespans are relatively short, such is the circle of life for service dogs. When Cooper turned six, and near the age of retirement, Alex needed to think about getting a new dog to take over for Cooper. Again, money was needed to acquire and train the right dog for Alex. He began saving to purchase and train his next dog.
According to Kelley Rosequist, co-founder and executive director of The Malinois Foundation, acquiring and fully training a service dog for a Veteran’s specific needs is a cost that is out of reach for many Veterans. “Most of our Veterans live on fixed disability incomes and have a limited means of affording this cost themselves,” she says.
In addition to money, it also takes time. Typically, it’s three years before a service dog is fully trained, with the Veteran doing most of the training under the guidance of experienced handlers. “Retiring a service dog is incredibly difficult and presents many logistical challenges,” Rosequist adds. “We want to simplify the process as much as possible for all of our Veterans.”
To help Alex, we supported The Malinois Foundation in creating a new Service Dog Successor Program. Alex became the first recipient of the new program.
When Alex learned the news, he was overwhelmed with tears of joy, and shared this text:
"Thank you…OMG…really 😭😭. I really thank you …you have changed my life …. By doing this and giving me the opportunity to be the first for this 😭 😭 thank you is not enough…really OMG thank you. ❤️"
With our support, The Malinois Foundation will find the right puppy for Alex, provide the training required to serve his specific needs, and continue to standby throughout the new service dog’s entire lifetime.
Service dog successors have very big paws prints to fill. And, while Alex will never be able to replace Cooper the Great, a new and equally special bond with a new puppy can be formed. To learn more about Alex and Cooper, click on the play button below.
The Veterans First Mission
What do our team members at Veterans First care about? It’s in our name and our mission.
Driven by our love of freedom and commitment to personal service, we empower Veterans, one by one, to live the American Dream.
Because we are in awe of the service commitment our Veterans make, it’s our privilege to assist them with their homeownership goals and to engage with them in the community.
