Patriot story: Frank + Wally

Frank, Army reservist, adopted Wally in 2011 when Wally was a year old (he qualified for our program because he was 40+ pounds).  He adopted from our partner, Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester. We'll provide you with Frank's contact info should you have follow up questions.

Pet's Name
	Wally
A little about me
	I live in New Hampshire, but I am deployment orders in Germany (finishing my 2nd tour/2nd year and figuring out what I want to do next). Wally is here in Germany with me and has been traveling Europe with me on my time off. We have been all over France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic together.
My military experiences
	I have served 30 years in the Army in a mix of active duty, the National Guard, and the Reserves. I spent 15 years enlisted in the Infantry and Aviation and the last 15 years as an Intelligence Officer in Special Operations. I have done combat duty in Operation Just Cause (Panama), Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I also did riot duty during the Rodney King riots while in the National Guard.
Why I chose to adopt a pet
	As a divorced single father, I was diagnosed with PTSD after my first tour in Iraq. Having been a dog owner most of my life, I knew that having a pet would help me in dealing with it. I also believe having a pet around is healthy for my children
Why I chose to adopt through Pets for Patriots
	I found out about the program when I was at a shelter looking for a compatible dog. I was very impressed with the ideals behind the program for helping vets and the continuing personal support - it wasn't just a one and done feel good effort
How my honorably adopted pet has changed my life
	Wally has been my best friend and companion since day one. He has traveled with me all over the US and Europe. He has attended army schools with me where everyone loved him - he has even received a graduation diploma from the military intelligence school. All of the love that I know he will give me unconditionally and knowing that we can rely on each other makes a huge difference in dealing with my PTSD
What I love most about my new pet friend
	He always wants to be near me and knows what I want with hardly a word said. He is getting older now so he can't do as much, but for years he helped motivate me to get out and stay in shape. I know with him that I am never alone and that someone cares and relies on me.
What I would tell other veterans or service members who might be thinking about adopting through Pets for Patriots
	It's a no brainer decision - it is the best veterans service I have ever had the honor to work with

6/11/14 from Vets email He is the best dog that I have ever had - extremely smart, loyal, and friendly. I grew up with and had german shepards most of my life, which are great, but I couldn't deal with the constant shedding any more. I fostered german shorthaired pointers for a couple of years afterwards. They are sweet, gentle dogs, but dumb as as stump. Wally is the best of all worlds. 3/7/12: Wally and I are doing great. I took him with me to a month long army course in Ft Huachuca, Arizona. Everyone loved him and he became the class mascot, going with us on “field trips” with the class. They even gave him a graduation certificate from the school 🙂 I have been training him as a service dog and he is doing great. He is incredibly well behaved and smart, but he is still a big baby.