My name is Andrew Laney.  I am a disabled United States Marine

Corps veteran with both PTSD and very limiting mobility issues;

and this is Captain's story.

 

Since serving in the Marine Corps, I have suffered with PTSD, I

had major bilateral hip reconstruction surgery, and failed back

surgery.  The back surgery left me in severe pain and in a wheelchair. 

Life with PTSD is complicated; one day you’re living large and going

100 miles per hour all day…the next day, you’re getting slammed

into a brick wall, 100 miles per hour to zero.  This had a devastating

effect on me.  At this point, I didn’t have any real reason to carry

on - my will to live was essentially gone.

 

Then, I met Captain.

 

Captain was a fully trained greyhound service dog.  Without exaggeration, Captain was simply amazing.  He was so intuitive to my mental state, he provided comfort that only he could provide.  Captain would wake me at night to interrupt nightmares and provide pressure therapy for my comfort and relaxation to de-escalate from the nightmare.  He would mitigate any PTSD and anxiety issues I had at any time, in any place.

 

He was also physically strong.  He helped with my mobility issues.  I could use him to get myself up off the floor, out of a chair, or out of bed in the morning when my physical disabilities rendered me incapable of doing so.

 

Captain brought me back to life in so many ways.  The will to live, move forward, and thrive was restored, all because of Captain.

 

He had an effect on not only myself, but many others as well.  Some of the people I know have adopted greyhounds due to the effect they saw that Captain had on me.

For instance, Captain and I were in a local park, when we met a veteran.  In speaking with this veteran, I found out he was homeless and had lost his reason to live.  Captain and I sat with him for over an hour, and Captain provided him support which made this veteran feel much better about himself and he realized there is help available to him.  This veteran did confide to me that he had intended for that day to be his final one on Earth.  Captain changed his mind -  at least for that day.

 

There are many stories of the profound effect that Captain had on people.  He was simply an amazing service dog.

 

Captain’s legacy lives on with Captain’s Canines for Heroes.