Iraq War Veteran Says 'Big & Emotional Thank You' For Service Labrador
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The burden for one Colorado veteran got a little lighter Saturday. Jason Martinez will share the journey forward with his new service dog, a chocolate Labrador named Dexi.
"One hundred percent she knows she's cute. She is very adorable and she knows it," said Tara Elbrecht.
She has been a dog trainer for 10 years. For the last six months, Elbrecht has been training Dexi to be a service dog for Iraq War veteran Jason Martinez.
"I know that she is going to be able to change Jason's life and make him be able to function normally in society," she said.
"She completely hams it up for the camera. She's just a beautiful dog," said Martinez, who served as a dog handler in the Marine Corps.
The husband and father of five struggles with post traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Now he'll have Dexi as a companion and help. A K9 covering his six.
"Having someone else to watch my back or in Military terms, cover my six, is going to be huge, it's going to be absolutely perfect," said Martinez.
"There's no drugs. There's no therapy. There's nothing in this world that can match a service dog in the right application," explained Curtis Hendel, a spokesman for the Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project.
The nonprofit provided Dexi for Jason.
"When you place that dog and you see the look in his eye, and you see the veteran and know that this is going to change their lives, it's overwhelming. It can't be matched," he said.
For Martinez, there is hope for a brighter future, and he's grateful for those helping to light his way.
"Just a thank you, a big and emotional thank you," he said.
Hendel says it costs about $25,000 for each dog they provide to a veteran.