Kent
Kent served our country for fifteen years with courage and honor in the military. He was medically retired from service and began to struggle emotionally, physically, and mentally. He suffered from neurological issues and seizures, among other disabilities.
Mike
Mike is a yellow Labrador retriever who was trained to be a service dog through the specialized prison dog training program at MCI Framingham, a women’s prison in Massachusetts.
These prison dog training programs have become an important part of the VetDogs training and development procedures. The training gives inmates new life skills, gives service dogs crucial training, and allows America’s VetDogs to unite more veteran-service dog pairs.
Kent and Mike
Kent was paired with his four-legged counterpart, Mike, in June of 2015 after Mike’s training was complete.
Mike is trained to be aware of triggers and symptoms of Kent’s conditions. He can alert others of Kent’s seizures through a special alarm system or ambulance alert button. He can safely wake up Kent during nightmares to avoid PTSD relapses, among other daily tasks.
Mike and Kent are now inseparable. They have given each other purpose and lifelong companionship. Kent uses his new outlook on life to speak to and raise awareness for veterans and the troubles they face after returning from combat. Mike and Kent are integral spokesmen of America’s VetDogs and the power of service dogs on the lives of our heroes.
See the rest of their story here:
