Thursday, October 18, 2012

Oso: Service Dog, Protector, Soldier, Family Member

Service dogs continue to dramatically improve the lives of wounded service members and their families.  This Spring, we received a Wish through our A Warrior's Wish® program for a service dog to help a soldier suffering from traumatic brain injury and PTSD.  The family needed a very specific breed due to their son's allergies.  Through the help of a private donor, Hope For The Warriors® was able to grant this Wish and provide the family with a service trained goldendoodle.  Soon after, the family learned about Oso, their future service dog.



Noemy, a proud Army wife shares how Oso has changed their lives:

Just wanted to let you know how things are going with Oso.  We were able to pick him up a month early because he has met all of his training requirements. He has done so much and I can see a difference in my husband’s mood.

They are perfect for each other. They both twitch at night and jump when they are startled. They are always together and if my husband leaves while Oso is asleep on the floor, Oso will wake up, look for him and whine if he can't find him.

Oso not only helps my husband but has made all of us safe. He guards us when his vest is off. He knows that when his vest is on, he is to work and help my husband, but when his vest is off he is totally different and protects all of us. Our daughter was sick and he gave her the box of tissues. When I am not doing well due to all the stress, he comes and jumps on me and lays on me. He hears a sound at night that is not good and he gets up and barks to let us know that something is wrong. Every night he jumps into bed with us, cuddles, and then jumps off.

My husband is the only service member here on Ft. Huachuca that has a service dog. Everyone has accepted Oso into the Army Family. The first morning that he took him to PT his 1st SGT asked "Why is your dog out of uniform!?!" So that same day, my husband went out and bought Oso his own PT uniform so he could look just like everyone else. He also overheard a soldier asking "What type of dog is that?" His sergeant told him, "That's no dog, that is a soldier."

We have been so blessed with Oso and are so grateful to have him part of our family.  If it wasn't for Hope For The Warriors®, we would not have Oso.  Thank you so much!
 
 
 
 
Thank you to our private donor who made this Wish possible.  Thank you to all of our supporters--you make all of our work possible.
Donate today to help us grant more Wishes.  Donate online or text the word WARRIORS to 20222 to donate $10 to Hope For The Warriors®.

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