Service Dog Moses
You might remember that we recently placed service dog Moses with our disabled veteran Bob Gunn in Southport, NC, with the hope that Moses would alleviate his PTSD, and give him the power to get back into healthy physical shape. The bond between Bob and Moses was immediate. Life gets in the way of the best plans, however, as it did in this case.
Bob took a serious fall, which has left him temporarily banged, bruised, and nearly immobile. Our deepest gratitude to Patti Leimer, Bob’s neighbor, who took responsibility for caring for and exercising Moses during this period.
Our visit there today made several points clear: Moses is not the right match for Bob at this time, Bob needs some personal time to gain both inner and outer strength to be able to make his ability to have a service dog work, and having the wonderful neighbor be in charge of the dog is of no value to anyone, especially Moses.
These issues were laid out openly, and our decision to have Moses return to the Canine Angels pack was unanimous, and correct. This process is never science, but rather art, feel, and the willingness to try to make it happen — plus the flexibility to change direction when required.
There is no failure here on anyone’s part. Everyone involved has ended up with experience, new knowledge, and priceless information about self, and awareness of the obstacles that have to be hurdled. To Bob’s ultimate credit, he has chosen to remain in the Canine Angels program, to take several weeks to recover from his injuries, and then have another swing at it. This shows the determination and courage that all of our veterans need to succeed in this venture.
Canine Angels will keep you posted on both Bob and Moses.
