“I always wanted to join the Army. I come from a big military family: my grandfather, uncles, two brothers all served. My younger brother was a Marine who passed away while serving. He looked up to us, and joined not too long after I did. I spent seven years in the Army. I was in Iraq from 2010 to 2011.

“I have PTSD, which causes a lot of panic attacks and anxiety. I also have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which caused me to have complex migraines that induce seizures. My doctor at the VA recommended a service dog. There was another Warrior there who had a service dog, and my doctor told me to go talk to him about it. He recommended Leashes of Valor, even though his dog wasn’t from LOV.

“Now that I have McGee, I’m ready for a new normal. I would like to get out a little bit more. Take my kids to places they want to go without having to leave. I experience a lot of hyper alertness. I want to go fishing, play golf, go to a sporting event. I’m just ready for the next step. I’m ready for the next adventure in my recovery.”