CHICAGO – Illinois is now signing on to a program that’s been quite successful in Indiana.
It brings veterans and shelter pets together, making them both stronger.
About a year ago, Army Veteran Scott Anderson met Ruby the dog for the first time, and it was a bond no one could ever question.
“She walked over to me, took one sniff, laid down next to me and it was done,” Anderson said. “Her and I knew that fast.”
Anderson served 23 years in the Army and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times. For him and many veterans, returning to civilian life often proves to be a challenge.
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“You find yourself for a little while avoiding trash bags on the side of the road, or little things,” he said. “When you’ve spent 57 months in a combat zone, you have some emotions about that and it’s okay to talk about that.”
In addition to his regular therapy, Anderson found a new path to walk with the Pets Healing Vets Program, which has so far matched 40 veterans in Indiana with a shelter pet looking for their own mission to help heal.