A Lifesaving Bond: A Shelter to Service Graduate Tells His Story
Former Army Sergeant Chris Ellis met service dog Lex, a two-year-old Labradoodle, through American Humane’s Shelter to Service program, which rescues dogs from animal shelters and trains them to become lifesaving service dogs for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury. In this emotional episode, Chris shares how Lex has turned his life around, and why he thinks other struggling veterans should consider getting a service dog of their own.
BIO:
Chris Ellis is a former Army Sergeant who was part of the U.S. invasion of Iraq from the very beginning in 2003. He proudly calls military service “the family business.” When he returned home from service, Chris began to struggle with the invisible wounds of war. He applied for a service dog through American Humane’s Shelter to Service Dog program, which pairs veterans with shelter dogs who have been rescued and trained extensively to become service dogs for their new handlers.
American Humane paired him with Lex, a one-and-a-half-year-old male Labradoodle who was selected from an animal shelter located within a correctional institute in Louisiana where he was initially trained and socialized by inmates. “Getting my service dog has been a life changer,” said Chris. “I’ve gone from being depressed to having a better outlook. My dog gives me something positive to focus on instead of wallowing in my own pity.” And Chris’ 9-year-old daughter said that the gift of this dog has “helped get me my Dad back.”