You showed Shilo healing, when other treatments could not.
When Shilo was matched with her Service Dog, Javelin, she had just been medically retired after serving 17 years in the Arkansas Air National Guard.
Shilo deployed twice — first to Iraq, and then to Afghanistan. In her second deployment, she was part of the first response team to mortar and rocket attacks, taking responsibility for all squadrons to check accountability and assess damages. Since she worked the night shifts, she was more exposed to those attacks.
Shilo was exposed to horrific sights and sounds; the memories were hard to live with. Once she returned home, Shilo struggled to cope. She isolated herself, rarely leaving home. She says her husband did all the errands and grocery shopping, and Shilo couldn’t even go out to watch her kids’ games.
“I was not really living,” Shilo says. “I didn’t feel like I had anything left to offer to the world and was just kind of a drain on everyone.”
Shilo had deep, invisible wounds — and no traditional methods of treatment seemed to help.
But that was almost 10 years ago. Today, you’ve given Shilo a new life.
From their first day meeting to a decade together!
A decade in with Javelin by her side, Shilo has accomplished what people told her she’d never do. She went back to college and graduated with a double bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology. She went on to work part time, became a proud and happy grandmother and enrolled in graduate school.
“Who knew a dog could do this? They’re amazing,” says Shilo.
Now Shilo is working full time, helping other people who are in mental health crises. She’s experiencing all that life has to offer. And all the while, Javelin is there to support her.
“He’s about 10 years old now and still going strong,” Shilo says. “He’s still got plenty of energy to deal with me, and I’ve become calmer because of him.”
This is how your support keeps giving and giving. Thank you for offering Warriors like Shilo the caring support of a Service Dog. You provide hope and lasting solutions for Veterans in need.
