WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Two Navy veterans were paired with custom-trained service dogs Friday during a ceremony aboard the U.S.S. Battleship North Carolina.
The Wilmington-based nonprofit Canines for Service presented service dog Basil to veteran Patrick Walker, and service dog Bogey to veteran Anne Leanos. The organization trains each dog to meet the specific physical or psychological needs of its assigned handler.
Erin Lewis, a spokesperson for Canines for Service, said the impact of these animals goes far beyond public perception.
“These dogs can do so much,” Lewis said. “Hearing from our clients who graduated with their dogs, having them here today a year or three years after their placement, and knowing the impact they’ve had on their lives as fathers and husbands, it’s amazing.”
Founded in 1996, Canines for Service pairs service dogs at no cost with veterans nationwide who have service-connected PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, or mobility limitations. To date, Canines for Service has completed more than 100 veteran partnerships, organziers said.
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