https://www.facebook.com/fox13newsutah/videos/10154053263455586/

Galliher served seven years in the Marines, and multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan. The pair were traveling through Utah, headed home to Washington after attending Marine promotion and retirement ceremonies at Camp Pendleton, when Raider slipped out the door of their motel room.

Heartbroken, the Marine searched throughout the night to no avail. And although he’d walked around the building of the nearby veterinary office next door numerous times, he didn’t think to knock on its door.

Raider hadn’t gotten very far; staffers there had picked him up pretty quickly.

Early the next day, employees at the Midvale office were able to reunite Galliher and his beloved German shepherd. The scene was touching and tearful.

“I got Raider when I felt like I felt like I was in a dark cave and there was no chance of seeing the light again and getting him was like having a little glint of hope,” he told Salt Lake City’s KSTU.

“Having him with me side-by-side makes me more confident, strong, and more like the sergeant in the Marines I once was.”

The post Touching Reunion: Marine Veteran Finds Missing Service Dog appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

On January 16th I saw a post going around on Facebook about a US Veteran in Surprise, Arizona that was losing his home and being evicted in a few days. He has 4 beautiful Malinois dogs and options were limited because he wants to keep them. I’m active in the dog rescue/homeless advocacy community and I wanted to do something, but it seemed there were a few options and that he had some help.

Several days went by and I decided to reach out to Jeremy directly and ask if he needed food for his dogs. He responded and said yes. I met him and the dogs in a parking lot on January 27th. Someone donated a van to him and he is a living in it with the dogs. He is humble about getting help, but he still needs it.

A nice woman is allowing him to park at her house at night but it is not feasible for him to have a room in the house as initially offered, as she has many dogs, as well. This is not an easy way to live on an ongoing basis, especially for the dogs. I gave him two large bags of dog food for Junior, Buddy, Olive & Dale. It would be nice to get him a motel room now and again so they can all stretch out and wash up and get them out of these tight quarters. 

On January 28th I assisted him in taking the dogs to the Stand Down event and the dogs got shots and a check-up. One of the dogs had some dental issues and another a possible ACL condition. It would be nice to get them ongoing care and follow up, as they are ages five through nine. He is returning to the Stand Down event today, to see what help is available for him, since we got the dogs taken care of yesterday. It can take several days or weeks to receive any help, if anything is even available for him.

Much of the assistance out there for vets is for the humans only. If someone is unwilling to give up their pets, assistance is greatly limited. He does not want to give up his pets, as they are the source of some happiness and purpose to him. I totally get that. Someone who bravely served our country should not be living like this. It is not known yet if there is any housing assistance available. It would be nice if someone knew of a rental home or townhouse with a yard or fenced patio that allowed a veteran with 4 dogs. They are well behaved and of course potty trained. Goal amount may later be changed depending on what he finds out about housing. 

Many people have asked about helping and asked if I would set up a GoFundMe for him and the dogs. Please know Jeremy did not ask me to do this. Will you help me help Jeremy, Dale, Junior, Buddy and Olive? What the funds can be used for:

*Further care, treatment, food and supplies for the 4 dogs (Including current ID tags, harnesses, microchipping, joint supplement for Dale)
*Bottled water for all of them
*Use of laundry mat to clean bedding and clothing
*Gas, insurance, update tags, maintenance for the van
*Storage unit so that the van isn’t so cramped with clothing, belongings and dog supplies. He lost/left many things at the house, but still has some personal items.
*Cell phone upkeep so he has a way to receive calls about possible assistance.
*PO Box, so he has an address to receive mail about assistance.
*Food, vitamins, toiletries, wipes, hand sanitizer, clothing, etc. for Jeremy
*A removable rug for the van that can be taken out and vacuumed at a car wash (living with the hair of 4 dogs!)
*Possible play time at indoor dog park for the dogs (outdoor dog parks have not worked well)
*Whatever other needs arise!

I am not a 501c3 charity. I am just a regular person trying to help another human being and his dogs.

https://youtu.be/79p-1YmfiFc

Thank you for your continued support and donations, everyone! I have been out of town for a few days for work and just got back last night at midnight. This morning was the first time funds were available to use from GFM. I will be meeting Jeremy today to switch the dog food to Earthborn. Poor Olive has not been feeling well a couple days, going to see if this will make a difference. I will also get another gas card. Jeremy has an appointment this afternoon to check into housing. Not sure how that will go with the 4 dogs. Hoping for the best, I will let you know! Some of you have asked what kind of work he will be looking for. Yes, he wants to work, but he will need a place to live before he can get a job. He ideally would like office work, and yes he does WANT to work. He is uplifted by our support and that we care. 

When I saw them today, Olive looked so much better that Jeremy had reported she was feeling yesterday. Today he said she is doing so much better. That is so great! He thinks she was having tummy trouble. Part of the problem is that that are mostly in the van and get out for potty breaks several times a day. We need a safe yard they can stretch out in and walk around a bit at least a few times a week. There have been a couple offers, but we want everyone’s dogs safe without getting hurt. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Does anyone have a yard, side yard, lot, etc… where a temporary chain link fence dog run could be put for Jeremy’s dogs? A nice lady is offering to buy a structure if a place can be found for it. Ideally this would be somewhere in NW valley.

Here is the pack this morning! They now have sturdy harnesses, name tags and are microchipped! Jeremy was given funds for gas and to get a PO box. 

It takes several days before funds are available, but we are hoping to be looking for a place very, very soon and pay several months upfront as well as utility deposits. Insurance for the van will also be paid this week.

Met up with Jeremy and the pack today! The dogs got new Kong leashes with the easy control loop, some Honest Kitchen fish skin treats , a grain free dental bone each and a cooling mat. Jeremy was given a gas card for Kwik Trip and a laptop. The laptop will help him dust off his resume, help me find them a place to live, research jobs or any other assistance opportunities, as well as just help with life in general. I reached out to 9 rental listings in Surprise yesterday and have not heard back from a single one. Please let me know if anyone is aware of a possible rental opportunity in Surprise or Peoria that would allow four very trained and behaved dogs.

The post Veteran Chooses Homelessness Over Giving Up Therapy Dogs appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

While the US military does provide for its servicemen and women after they finish serving, veterans sometimes fall through the cracks.  Combat medic Darla Stange is one of them.  She was assured that she and her emotional support dog, Gimli, would be provided with lodging upon their return to Washington, but that wasn’t the case.  Now they’re staying in various unsavory motels, and would love a place to call home.

This plea comes from SPC Stange:

I never thought I’d be here. Basically begging for money to get by. I am almost six years on active duty, and have honorably served my country all around the world. I am less than five months from getting out medically from multiple injuries – four surgeries and PTSD. I was prescribed an emotional support animal to help with the stress I was enduring – Gimli. He saved my life. I was in Germany when they decided to send me back to Washington in July of 2015. Through lack of communication in the Army channels, I was dumped at a new post with my partner in crime and no funding for a house. I have gutted nearly all my savings in renting rooms and hotels for my dog and I to stay, waiting for Army paperwork and funding. I am asking with the utmost humility to help Gimli and me get back on our feet. I am scared thinking how this situation has placed me as a soldier upon exiting the service.

I was really struggling after multiple injuries and surgeries were ending my military career sooner than I wanted. I was struggling with severe depression.  I was headed down a very dark and spiraling path with very little hope for my future. Just when I had all but given up, Gimli came into my life.

The post Veteran and Emotional Support Dog Find Themselves Homeless appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

These abused wolves need healing, both physical and emotional, if and when they are rescued. They’ve been through a lot…not unlike our veterans. There’s nothing more healing than companionship, and when two damaged souls come together, magic happens.

Sometimes, all one person needs to be able to start the healing process is to see that healing is possible. The relationships that these wolves and their veterans form are truly lifesaving, and it’s so touching to see them come together like this.

The post When This Wolf Walks Up To A Man, Something Incredible Happens appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

When service dog Kai went missing from his home last November, owner Alexandra Melnick was distraught.  But after many months of ardent searching and Facebook posting, Kai was found hundreds of miles away, and has finally been sent home to his overjoyed family.

Melnick served a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan and came home with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD.  She got a German shepherd puppy and trained him to be a service dog.

“He helps me with things like PTSD and insomnia, she told ABC 10News in December. “He puts me to sleep. He wakes me up for nightmares.”

Kai was stolen from Melnick’s Vista backyard the day after Thanksgiving.  She set up a Facebook and GoFundMe page to get the word out and have money for a detective and a reward.  She handed out thousands of fliers and drove thousands of miles, looking for him.  Months later, she still hadn’t given up.

“I spend my days searching for him, I spend my nights dreaming about him and having nightmares still and I really hope that we get him home,” Melnick told San Diego 6 in April. “He saved my life, I owe this to him. I want to do anything in my power to get him home.”

In August Kai was found, and a week ago, a happy update was posted by Bring Kai Home:

I want to thank every single one of you for all your constant support and help. I also want to say from the bottom of my heart how sorry I am that I have left you in the dark this past week. I had suspected he may have been stolen but didn’t have any idea who it may have been. So, I had to search for him as if he was running around the wilderness. For all I knew, someone took him and got spooked by the media attention and dumped him. I have been looking for breadcrumbs for months with no luck. I have driven thousands of miles the last 9 months looking.

Last week, I found him searching through social media posts. I flew to Texas the very next day. The people who had him didn’t initially know he was missing, stolen, or that I was looking. When they found out, they didn’t want to give him up. In Texas, they have laws regarding this situation. While the Denton County dispatch, deputies, constables, ACOs and clerks were extremely patient, understanding, and worked on this more than I expected, they wanted to make sure I got him back legally and wouldn’t have any issues down the line. We feared him being moved again before the hearing. Animal Control seized him and has had him for time being. They have a beautiful facility and spoiled him for me while I’ve waited. My San Diego County detective worked hard and fast to get the needed paperwork to them.

Relaxing after a much-needed trip to the salon to be flea-bathed and have his painfully overgrown claws clipped.

This morning the judge ruled that Kai is to come back home to California with me.

There is still an investigation to be done over how he left my home and ended up in Texas. In the meantime, I feel beyond blessed to have my baby boy home. I’m focusing on his health right now. The people who had him allowed him to become flea infested to the point he was going completely bald in many places with open sores. He has some trust issues. I believe, the people who had him used heavy negative reinforcement.* He cowers if you move too quickly, has scars that resemble strikes across his body, and his nose has some damage to it.

The Gofundme account is how I was able to find him. Without all your donations, I wouldn’t have been able to spread the word so far and get help from professionals. The remaining money will be divided up between various organizations, ones that helped me find Kai and ones that help others find their missing animals.

This picture is from the shelter last week in Denton County. I will post a video that will help answer questions that you may have. Right now, I’m taking some time to be with someone who I’ve missed very much.

*What she meant is positive punishment.  Negative reinforcement is a misnomer.  What it actually means is subtracting something to reinforce a behavior (i.e. hitting snooze on the alarm – when the noise is taken away, a person will repeat the behavior of shutting the alarm off).  Positive reinforcement is adding something to reinforce a behavior (i.e. giving a dog a treat for learning a trick).

Positive punishment is the addition of something to curb a behavior (i.e. striking a dog – adding pain – to stop it from barking).  Negative punishment is the removal of something to stop a behavior (i.e. taking away a video game because a child misbehaved).

The post Social Media Reunites Marine Veteran with Stolen Service Dog appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

But when their tour was up, Donna was supposed to go on another assignment…except that didn’t go as planned. She was abandoned, and Roberts had no way of finding her.

No handler should ever have to say goodbye to their army pooch. It’s hard enough being overseas and then adjusting to being back home…you need your best friend by your side — after all, you got each other through it!

The post After Serving Her Country, This Dog Was Abandoned…This Reunion Is Priceless appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

Erick was guilty that he wasn’t able to bring all 11 guys back. They call it ‘survivor’s guilt’. Because of this, Erick displayed symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Then Erick heard about K9 For Warriors, an organization that provides service dogs for soldiers with PTSD. There he met Gumbo, his service dog and his new friend. Watch the video below and see what Gumbo does when he sensed that Erick was agitated during the interview!

The post This PTSD Veteran Felt Agitated During An Interview. Now Watch What His Dog Does! appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

About Zoey:
Hello, Zoey is a year and a half old shepherd mix, I rescued her approximately one year ago from a no kill shelter after returning home from the military. She is a very sweet, loving, happy rescue who loves playing with her friends at the dog park, going on bike rides, runs, nature walks, playing at the beach and so much more. However, this has all since been limited and put on hold to lessen the damages being done to her heart until I am able to have her surgery done.

Zoey’s cause:
A couple months ago she was diagnosed with a grade 4-5 heart murmur and upon her echocardiogram it was discover she has severe type a valvular pulmonary stenosis, restricting the blood flow to her lungs, forcing certain parts of her heart to work much harder, which has begun thickening the walls of her heart. Eventually this will lead to a premature cardiac death if not taken care of. We are asking for donations of any size to help us get one step closer to saving Zoey’s heart.  Thank you!

The post Veteran Hoping to Save His Dog’s Broken Heart appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.

He left the Army earlier this year, and when he got his own place, he started to think about getting another dog. He turned to his local animal shelter, the Flagler Humane Society. On their website, he saw Bones.

“Her face was there,” he said. “It just popped right up.”

His ex had given up the 6-year-old dog in September, signing off that she could no longer be responsible for Bones, Flagler Humane Society executive director Amy Carotenuto said.

“I don’t know why you would give up a dog like Bones,” she said.

Bones became a favorite among the shelter staff, spending time in their administrative area. She was well-trained and quiet inside, and also loved to play Frisbee, Carotenuto said.

“She obviously was well cared for,” she said.

After seeing her on the site, Russo arrived at the shelter thinking that his former pet wouldn’t remember him. In the four years he had been in the military, he had only seen her briefly a couple times while he was on leave.

Bones started barking when she saw him, and running around. He dropped to his knees, and she jumped up, putting her paws on his shoulders like a hug, Russo said.

“Just pure joy,” he said.

The post Army Veteran Finds His Dog At A Shelter After Four Years Apart appeared first on ILoveDogsAndPuppies.