Dog Tag Buddies celebrated a special graduation today, marking the end of a two-year training journey for veterans and their service dogs. The program, led by founder DeeDe Baker, aims to help veterans regain social mobility and heal from hidden wounds of war. Corporal Josh Spillers shared how training his dog Rue helped him cope with personal loss and strengthened their bond.
MONTANA – Earlier today, veterans and their service dogs celebrated a special graduation ceremony hosted by Dog Tag Buddies. This event marked the culmination of a two-year training program designed to aid veterans in their recovery and improve their social mobility.
The Dog Tag Buddies program connects veterans with service dogs, providing them with essential support to manage the hidden wounds of war. The training is challenging but offers significant long-term benefits for veterans and their families.
DeeDe Baker, founder of Dog Tag Buddies, explained the goals of the program. “Training a dog is a lot of work, but we also ask them what are the goals you want to achieve, and for our veterans a lot of those goals include being able to be more integrated with their families, being able to do the things that their families do, being able to go to their kids events, being able to go to the grocery store. Just the basic day-to-day things that we take for granted, it’s really an opportunity for them to relearn how to do those things with a dog by their side,” said Baker.
The service dogs are trained to perform various tasks, such as recognizing and alerting others if their owner is having a panic attack, waking up their owner during nightmares, and retrieving medical bags.
Corporal Josh Spillers shared his experience with the program, highlighting the impact it had on his life after a personal tragedy. “I just decided to apply after we got her after my wife and I lost our son, having the opportunity to work with and train her in a very controlled manner, really made me realize the program was a lot more than just getting a service dog and it was very beneficial for my mental health and stuff like that,” said Spillers.
Spillers emphasized the bond formed with his dog, Rue, which helped him process complex emotions from his military service. “This really created a bond that was like no other, and really gave me a companion and this tool that helped me deal with a lot of the things that I was still dealing with from my time in the military,” he added.
Baker noted that the program is available to veterans at no cost and that the nonprofit is always seeking volunteers and donations to continue their work. For those interested in supporting Dog Tag Buddies or learning more about the program, visit their website at DogTagBuddies.org.
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