CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — FOX43 is highlighting local veterans and their lives after service in honor of Veteran's Day on Friday, Nov. 11.
Photojournalist Nick Vitto spoke with some of the veterans involved with a Cumberland County nonprofit about how the program has helped them.
Dog T.A.G.S. helps veterans train their own service dogs.
"I was a pilot in the Air Force and retired; the VA recommended that a service dog would be very helpful for me," Tom Kettler, a retired Air Force pilot, said.
The Dog T.A.G.S. program—which stands for train, assist, guide and serve—represents a new chapter for many of the veterans in the program.
"I used to have some pretty bad bouts of depression," Tim Lehman, retried National Guard veteran, said. "I would just sit in my recliner and try to pretend the world wasn't there, and he would come over. And he just laid his head on the foot rest and looked at me as if he was saying, 'Checking in, you doing all right?'"
Staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers, the program allows veterans to train their own dog to be a service animal.
"Dog T.A.G.S. was named by the veterans, the people that originally started it," Tammy Ritter, a trainer with the nonprofit, said. "The program is for veterans that are service connected with PTSD and TBI. What we do is we let these individuals come and train hopefully their own dog if the dog is suitable, otherwise we'll help them get a dog. But they strictly do all the training."
Each program has qualified trainers and at least one certified social worker on site to discuss veterans' needs.
Some of the people in the program need their service animal to help with mobility issues such as getting out of a chair or picking up dropped keys. Others simply appreciate the emotional support their dogs give.
"I've honestly noticed over the years of having Ollie it's improved my life dramatically in a lot of ways, as far as allowing a degree of calmness to daily routines," Kettler said.
"I can't explain just how good he makes me feel sometimes, and all he does is walk over and rub his head on my knee," Lehman said.
Veterans interested in getting involved with the Dog T.A.G.S. program can contact them via their website.