Enlisting in the Army. Getting married. Starting a family. For one soldier, adopting a dog joins the list as a highlight of his life.

True bonds

Brandon serves in the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade at historic Fort Drum in upstate New York. Like many soldiers before him, he enlisted in the Army to serve his country and help ensure a better future for himself and his family.

“I joined the Army to further my education and pursue a career in the tech world,” he says. “I serve currently as an information technology specialist, maintaining network infrastructures and supplying internet connectivity.”

These highly skilled professionals operate at the cutting edge of technology to support an agile, lethal fighting force.

While still early in his military career, Brandon already has a meaningful lesson from his time in service.

“My first JRTC rotation would have to be there,” he shares. “A lot of ups and downs, but being able to feel the true bond with my team was something special.”

The Army Joint Readiness Training Center is a rotation served in Fort Polk, Louisiana. It trains and tests large-scale Army units in combat simulations. These intensive field exercises can last up to 28 days and include live-fire training as well.

It is there that Brandon learned the true meaning of camaraderie.

Adopt don’t shop

Life outside of work has an entirely different rhythm.

Brandon is married, with the couple’s first child on the way. During his downtime he enjoys tinkering with computers and playing video games, and considers himself a sports enthusiast.

Yet despite leading a busy and full life, and with a baby en route, Brandon and his wife decided to add to their family in another way: they would adopt a shelter dog.

The couple visited Jefferson County SPCA, which since 2021 has offered $100 off adoption fees for members of our program. Together we have more than 50 dog and cat adoptions through our partnership.

Shelter staff told Brandon about our program, but it was nearly a month after we approved his application that he met his match in a black Labrador mix named Scooter.

“…one of the best decisions”

At the time Scooter was a large, yet relatively young dog with a big personality and heart to match. Large dogs are among those eligible for our program because many adopters prefer smaller ones for generally lower costs of care and ease of manageability.

Brandon was not deterred. So a few days after Thanksgiving he adopted Scooter and welcomed him home.

“I’ve always loved the companionship pets bring, dogs especially,” the soldier says.

“Sometimes in life, days will get long and challenging, my dog always helps keep me grounded in reality.”

It did not take long for Scooter to make a positive imprint on his new family. He is affectionate, at times demanding to be pet, and takes well to meeting other people.

The big dog even manages to tear Brandon away from the computer to enjoy more time outdoors.

“We enjoy long walks, fetch, tug-of-war, and his version of hand-to-hand combatives,” Brandon says.

Soldier. Husband. Sports fan. Father-to-be.

Now Brandon can add ‘adopter’ to his growing list of accomplishments. He is proud of his decision to save a shelter pet—and counts it among the most important he has ever made.

“He has been another happiness factor, seeing him waiting for me when I get home everyday,” he shares. “Adopting Scooter has been one of the best decisions of my life.”