The nonprofit raised funds at its 12th Annual Freedom Dogs Golf Tournament, bringing service members together with trained service dogs.
SAN DIEGO — For many veterans, the transition back to civilian life can be challenging, but one nonprofit is making that journey a little easier, one loyal companion at a time.
“I will say that the transition is the hardest piece that I’ve ever done in my entire life, and I’m telling you, without Angie right here, I don’t know where I’d be today,” said retired Marine, Wes Kelly.
Kelly served two tours in Afghanistan. His firsthand experience in war zones exposed him to the brutal realities of combat.
“It ain’t what you thought about as kids, you think about war and things like this, ‘Gunfighting, oh yea, it’s gung-ho,’” admitted Kelly. “What they don’t teach you is the things that you do see, and that you are not prepared to talk about, or the events and the aftermath of those effects, which takes a toll on people.”
Freedom Dogs did for Kelly what they do best. They paired him with a loyal companion, Angie, who has been with him for 6 years.
“She means the world to me, I mean especially to my family for the most part, you know transitioning back to being a civilian and coming back from war zones,” said Kelly.
At the 12th Annual Freedom Dogs Golf Tournament at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club on Monday, they raised money for the nonprofit. CBS 8 spoke with many veterans at the tournament with similar success stories.
“Returning from Afghanistan. I was not able to readjust so easily,” said Marine veteran, Brent Smith. “Their handlers and obviously the dogs were a lifeline to me to kind of bring me back from combat.”
Freedom Dog’s Executive Director, Peggy Poore, told CBS 8 that they work with Wounded Warriors at Camp Pendleton, and their trained dogs help veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
“The dogs help them to navigate public spaces because if they become anxious, the dog can alert them to that, and it gives them a moment to stop and think about how they’re responding and take a breath and decompress before it becomes elevated,” said Poore.
The nonprofit trains a lot of black and yellow labs. Trainer Sue Johnson told CBS 8 they start training them as young as 8 weeks old.
“The dogs are so amazing, they’re so empathetic and they really help all of us,” said Johnson. “It’s great for me because it’s very fulfilling to be able to train these dogs and see the impact they have on people’s lives.”
For more information on Freedom Dogs, you can visit their website.
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