the office supply store. The young man always had his head down, and Theo’s wife, Jean, had been concerned about him.
“We should stop over, bring him a casserole or something,” she would say. Theo smiled remembering Jean’s generous heart. And so they had, and because of that meeting Theo and Wally were sitting here now.
Trevor continued. “I tried counseling and medication, but I needed something more. Sometimes just going to the market threw me into full on panic attack. All that changed after I heard about Double Rescue for Vets. The people at DRV understood everything I was going through. The isolating and chronic depression that had drained the color out of every day of my life since returning from Afghanistan. Many of you know exactly what I mean.”
He paused while a wave of acknowledgement moved through the crowd.
“One of the wounds of war is the way many veterans suffer in silence. Centers like this change lives and help us recover.”
Theo had never completely realized the extent of what Trevor had been going through until now. He looked around the room at the men and women who had served their country. The very least he could do was volunteer here and help them find some joy through a new hobby.
Buddy nudged up against Trevor’s leg, and he bent down to pet him. “Buddy knows what I need before I do half the time.”
A hand went up in the audience. “How did you find DRV?”
“I was lucky enough to find a flyer here at the vet center when it first opened. We all met in a much smaller place back then, just a room in the back of a church. But I was afraid I couldn’t afford a dog,” Trevor continued. “Then I learned that through generous individuals, community fundraising, and corporate sponsorship, DRV is able to rescue dogs from shelters and then rescue us vets by training them as service dogs to help with our specialized needs.”
There was a smattering of applause and thumbs up throughout the crowd. Theo looked down at Wally. What would he have done without his canine best friend after Jean died? He could feel a tear at the corner of his eye and wiped it away. Furry angels, that was what Jean had called dogs.
A woman stood up with a question. “I’ve heard a therapy dog and service dog are different. Can you take Buddy with you anywhere you go?”
“Good question,” Trevor said. “Buddy, thanks to the ADI certification, is a service dog and I can take him anywhere I go. Having Buddy at my side helped me feel safe enough to leave the house, confident enough to start my own web design business, and eventually come down to LVC and volunteer myself. Now before I take any more questions, I am going to show you some of the things Buddy is trained to do with me.”
Buddy stood alert, waiting. Trevor pulled a chair to the middle of the stage and sat down with a sideways view to the audience.
“My lap,” Trevor said.
Theo watched Buddy lift both paws onto Trevor’s lap and give him some dog kisses.
A big “Awwww” sounded from the crowd.
Then Trevor laid on the stage and pretended to have trouble getting up. “Brace,” he said.
Buddy promptly scooted in close and locked all four of his legs tightly. Trevor was able to brace himself on the dog’s back and stand up.
This time the crowd cheered and a few members clapped.
“These are not just tricks,” Trevor said. “There are many more and some not only help us physically, but get us through another day.” He petted Buddy’s head and released the dog from duty with a hand signal. Buddy sat and looked out at the audience as if waiting for questions.
The beautiful golden in his service dog vest was a true hero in Theo’s eyes, just like the man beside him.
“Questions?” Trevor asked.
Several hands flew in the air and Trevor pointed to them one by one.
“How long does it take to get a dog once you are approved?”
“It can be a while, but it is worth the sixteen to eighteen month waiting list. When the dog is ready, DRV flies you out and houses you for twenty-one days to train onsite and in public with the dog. I was really nervous we wouldn’t bond, but one look at each other and I knew he was the dog for me. Next?”
“It seems like a rough life for a dog,” an older gentleman said.