“Leashes of Valor, Dogs of War,” Cooperative Living, January 2022

Leashes of Valor, Dogs of War

Caroline County K-9 service organization is saving veterans’ lives

By Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer, Cooperative Living

“Twenty-eight-year-old Marine Corps veteran Jason Searls is having a full-fledged panic attack.

“In his mind, he is back in Afghanistan, transporting a large amount of money, making him a target for the indigenous troops that just yesterday were his allies. He’s sweating profusely, his breathing is erratic, his heart is pounding — and then he feels a cold dog nose jabbing him in the leg.

“He slowly begins to register that he is not in Afghanistan. He is in Fredericksburg, Va., and his trusted service dog, Hawkeye, is right by his side, doing his job.”

Read more in January/February 2022 edition of Cooperative Living.