Coffee of the Month

Some things in life hit deeper than words can explain. A moment, a decision, a single act—small at the time, but powerful enough to change everything.

For me, that moment was a dog.

In 2019, I left the Marine Corps—medically retired for PTSD. I had just lost one of my closest friends to suicide, and despite doing everything I was “supposed” to do—therapy, medication, following the VA’s plan—I was spiraling. I didn’t want to die, but I couldn’t see a way to keep living. The weight of it all was unbearable.

I knew, deep down, that a service dog could help me. I brought it up to my VA psychologist, who agreed. But the system—the same system that had trained me for war—decided I didn’t need one.

So, I tried nonprofits. Their waitlists stretched three years long—an eternity when every day feels like a fight to make it to the next.

I wasn’t going to survive three years.

So I did something drastic. I adopted a dog and decided to train her myself. I had no idea what I was doing. But then—by sheer luck—I met a trainer who volunteered with an organization that taught veterans how to train their own service dogs. That moment changed my life.

She became my constant. Through the darkest nights and the hardest days, she was there—steadfast, patient, giving me the space to do the deep internal work that no person, no therapy, no pill could force me to face. She helped me rebuild my life when I thought it was already over.

That’s why this program matters. That’s why we’ve partnered with Sable Warriors.