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Patriot story: Chris and Darla

ClosedDeadline: 02/16/2015

Story Details

Background:

Chris is active duty Army. In May of 2014, he adopted a then five year-old Beagle named Darla through our partnership with Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

  • Assignment goal is to synthesize the information provided by the member patriot into a compelling story
  • It is not necessary to tell the veteran's story in the order that s/he provided the information unless that is the best way to tell the story
  • It is not necessary to use all the quotes provided
  • You may make minor adjustments to the quotes only to correct for grammer, punctuation, spelling, etc.
  • Punctuation always resides inside the quote marks, e.g., "like this," and not "like this",
  • Close the story with a compelling call to action or question based upon the story's narrative and place in italics at the end, e.g., What are you more willing and able to do now that you have a pet in your life?

Quotes:

Pet's Name
 Darla
A little about me
 I originally grew up in Cyril, OK. I am currently active duty Army that works personal protection in Tampa, FL. I have less than a month left before I separate from the Army after 9 1/2 years of service, to pursue a new challenge in the civilian world. I will be moving to Denver, CO with my beautiful girlfriend, Veronica, who is a Registered Nurse at the University of Colorado Hospital. My passion is snowboarding and shooting guns. I hope to one day open my own bar and grill.
My military experiences
 My Grandfather was a Vietnam Veteran and POW. He was one of the smartest men I know, my best friend, and my hero, so naturally I wanted to follow his footsteps. My first duty station was Ft. Carson, CO with the 3rd BCT, 4th ID (Nov 2005-Jul 2011). I completed 3 combat deployments to Iraq with the 4th ID, and became a Bronze Star recipient in 2008. I PCS'd to Macdill AFB, FL in July 2011. I currently work Protective Services for United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and had the privilege of traveling to over a dozen different countries.
My most memorable experience from my time in service
 One very memorable moment was when myself and three other coworkers were passing through Istanbul. Our flight wasn't until the next morning so we had to stay for a night in the city. Of course, we had to find a hotel that was within the government rates. The brochure to this hotel looked very nice and appealing. However, looks can be deceiving. Lol! Once we arrived, we thought it was Halloween because this place was dark, creepy, and I was ready for a ghoul to jump out at me. The rooms were unbelievably small, I didn't have a toilet seat, and Brian didn't have electricity! LOL! So we decided to walk down the street to eat at a local Domino's. The employees didn't speak ANY English so I pointed at the PEPPERONI pizza on the menu and told him we wanted two of them. We sat and a few minutes later they brought our pizzas to our table. Sure enough, they were pepperoni.....with mushrooms and corn!!! LOL! My friend Brian immediately said "CORN?!?!" We did our best to not complain and eat since we were starving. Honestly, the pizza wasn't bad at all, even with their unorthodox toppings. We went back to our hotel and tried to get some sleep.....with our shoes on. We still laugh to this day about that pizza and hotel.
Why I chose to adopt a pet
 I have always wanted my own dog. Growing up, we always had cats. And living alone here in Florida and my constant traveling for work made it very difficult for me to consider adopting. But one day when Veronica was in town for a visit, we decided to go browse the shelter. Originally, we were planning on getting a cat. But when we passed through the kennel with the small dogs, we absolutely fell in love with Darla when she yelped at us to come see her. She was adorable and was very distressed about being in there. I set up a meet with her in their yard and she was extremely affectionate and friendly. We knew just then that we were going to take her home.
Why I chose to adopt through Pets for Patriots
 I actually stumbled upon this program when I was on the Tampa Humane Society's website. I immediately applied that same day. It is a great program and I encourage all Veterans to consider using the Pets for Patriots.
How my honorably adopted pet has changed my life
 Living alone can be very boring and at times can really make stressful times even worse, since no one is around to talk to or help me keep my mind distracted. But knowing Darla is at home waiting for me to walk through that door is exciting for me. It doesn't matter if I've been gone for 20 minutes, or 4 hours. She always greets me as if she hasn't seen me in years! The loyalty and affection she gives me can make any day so much better. It doesn't matter how mad, irritated, or stressed out I am....because once I walk through that door she makes everything go away and helps me to relax. She helps me keep my head up.
What I love most about my new pet friend
 She refuses to sleep in her own bed. She is half Pug and half Beagle (Puggle) and I'm not sure if Pugs or Beagles do this.....but she loves to sleep under the blankets with me! It's very funny to see her jump on the bed and use her nose to push the blankets over her so she can burrow underneath. Even if I make her sleep in her own bed, she will somehow jump up on my bed without me knowing, and sneak under the covers.
What I would tell other veterans or service members who might be thinking about adopting through Pets for Patriots
 I highly recommend using the Pets for Patriots program. Not only do you receive a few helpful benefits from the program, but when you adopt from a shelter, you are saving a life! Darla is such a great dog. Her previous owners trained her very well. The only reason she was in the shelter is because her previous owners could no longer support her financially which is very unfortunate and I hope for the best to them. It makes me happy that they gave her to a No-Kill shelter, rather than just abandoning her on the streets. I am extremely grateful I had the courage to adopt her.