Veteran Stories
Jared and Trauma Assistance Dog Jeter
NEADS asked U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jared Wimberly to explain how Trauma Assistance Dog (TAD) Jeter works with him to calm and ground him. TAD Dogs learn specialized task work…
Read MoreSteve & Service Dog for Hearing Charlotte
Army veteran and retired Chicago police officer Stephen Hood’s hearing was profoundly deteriorating; even his hearing aids and cochlear implant were not enough to alleviate the mounting challenges of his…
Read MoreHospitalization and Recovery during a Pandemic
The pandemic has been difficult for all our TAD* veterans, but one client in particular, Rebecca, found herself in an extremely tough situation. A few months prior to the pandemic, she had to make the hard decision to have her second leg amputated. She had only had her Service Dog, Sully, for about 4 months at that time and was clearly worried about what to do with him while in the hospital…
Read MoreKayne and Service Dog Nikki
Nikki has been with me for about a year now. She has changed my life dramatically, and I can’t imagine it without her. Nikki helps me with my daily tasks.…
Read MoreMark and Service Dog Skipper
When I first found out that NEADS had a Service Dog for me, I will admit that I got excited, but when I was told his name was Skipper, I…
Read MoreChris and Hearing Dog Masie
I first learned about the Hearing Ear Dog Program (now NEADS) in an article in the Disabled American Veterans magazine in 1982. I contacted the program and was interviewed and…
Read MoreJason and Service Dog Ernie
Jason was diagnosed with PTSD in 2006, three years after returning from a difficult tour of duty with the Marine Corps in Iraq. He was in a very dark place,…
Read MoreJocelyn and Service Dog Sammie
Jocelyn, an Air Force veteran and NEADS first female TAD client, was matched with Service Dog Sammie in 2017. Here’s her story:
I now know why there is a sign in the NEADS client house that says, “Every once in a while a dog enters your life and changes everything.” Little did I know just how quickly everything would change for the better when Sammie entered my life.
Read MoreIn Their Words: I Once Sat in That Chair
I once sat in that chair and I watched,
People around me freely going to and fro,
Parents playing with their children,
As I once sat in that chair and watched.