Richard was content with the ebb and flow of life as a retiree. Then an oversize lapdog he rescued from a local shelter made a big splash in his otherwise quiet life.

Life at sea

Richard wakes early in Southern California, where sunshine fills most mornings. Retirement gives him time to explore and February brings a favorite annual tradition: half-priced museum visits. He moves through exhibits with the same curiosity that once carried him across oceans.

Years earlier Richard chose a different path than the one available to him where he was raised.

“[I] grew up in a auto town,” he shares, “and didn’t want to put the same three bolts in every car that came by for life.”

So in 1975 Richard enlisted in the Navy and found purpose at sea. As an operations specialist he tracked aircraft and surface movements, learning to rely on skill and sharp attention.

Richard later qualified as an air intercept controller at a time when most aerial work depended on human judgment rather than computers.

Enlisting in the military opened the world; each new port brought something to discover. The travel associated with Navy life are among Richard’s most enduring memories from his time in service.

“Puling into a new port, my first stops were museums, market places, and zoos,” he says. “You could always find a taxi driver that spoke some English and hire them as a driver for the day.”

Canine companions

Richard’s naval career nurtured his innate desire to explore the world around him, which persists into retirement. So does his love for the companionship of dogs—something rooted in his childhood on a small farm.

Animals had always been part of the Navy veteran’s life. So he felt the absence deeply when his home fell quiet after losing two longtime canine companions.

The Navy veteran’s daily walks and hikes no longer felt the same without a partner beside him.

“I walk or hike most days,” he says, “[and I] don’t want to do that without a partner.”

Like many people, the Navy veteran started his search for a new four-legged friend online. He learned about our companion pet adoption program for military veterans through Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

Since 2011 the shelter waives adoption fees for members of our program who adopt eligible dogs and cats. Rancho Coastal Humane Society serves the greater San Diego community and is among our original shelter partners.

As a retiree, Richard appreciated the financial support and savings offered through our program. In early December 2024 he began his search in earnest.

It did not take the Navy veteran long to find an oversized lap dog craving the companionship that Richard was seeking as well.

Oversized lap dog

At the time Tikka was just another young adult pocket Pit Bull mix hoping for a home. She weighs a mere 35 pounds fully grown and entered the shelter about a month prior to meeting Richard.

Tikka—since renamed Penny—was just what the Navy veteran needed. A dog big enough to take on daily hikes, yet small enough to cuddle.

Richard soon learned that Penny is just an oversized lap dog looking for love.

“She thinks she’s a lap dog,” he says. “We spend most mornings reading the paper with her curled up on my lap. I’m not allowed to stop petting her.”

Penny is even kind towards the family cat. The two are known to occasionally play a little rough and tumble, all in good fun.

Richard often reflects on how easy the adoption process felt and how much Penny has added to his life. He encourages other veterans to consider taking that step, knowing the difference a companion dog or cat can make.

“Working with Pets for Patriots was simple and pleasant,” he says.

Penny did not replace what Richard lost after the passing of his previous dogs. Like people, no two animals are alike. But she does reinforce a sense of purpose that we all need in our lives—a reason to keep moving forward each day, one step at a time.