Canines for Service highlights impact of service dogs on veterans

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — In honor of Veterans Day, Canines for Service brought veterans, families, and community members together at Eagle’s Dare to celebrate the bond between veterans and their canine partners.

The gathering highlighted the organization’s work pairing veterans with trained service dogs to help them navigate challenges associated with conditions such as PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.

Attendees also got a firsthand look at some of the tasks the dogs are trained to perform to support their veteran partners in everyday life.

Melissa Blackmon, development director for Canines for Service, said each partnership is tailored to the veteran’s individual needs, creating a lasting impact as they transition to life after military service.

“They’re partnered with a veteran to find that specific need, so each dog and veteran are matched perfectly together, and these veterans, their lives are being changed; you know, they’re coming out of their shell, they’re able to go out in the public, they’re able to do so much more with the love of these canines,” said Blackmon.

The organization’s impact extends beyond the Cape Fear region and North Carolina, having placed more than 100 service dogs with veterans across the country.