Brennan dreamed of flying. His passion for aviation — along with his grandfather’s time serving in the Korean War — inspired him to join the Marine Corps and then the Air Force.
To get through his second decade of service, Brennan buried his emotions. He returned home, and experienced what he describes as a “delayed reaction.” It took him a long time to confront the fact that he was suffering from PTSD.
“I continued to push it down and down and down until I couldn’t do it any longer,” he says. “After that, I was basically a shut-in, and it made things very difficult.”
Brennan says his wife and children were very understanding, but he describes feeling “absent” from family activities. He avoided important events and realized it left his wife with added responsibilities.
Brennan sought help, and he found it at K9s For Warriors. He was first paired with a Service Dog named Recon, and started down the path to recovery. With Recon by his side, Brennan treasured his newfound ability to take his children to events and crowded activities.
When Recon retired, Brennan was paired with his new Service Dog, Compass. He’s grateful for the confidence and freedom she gives him — and his whole family.

Now, he says his wife “can focus on the children or anything else going on in our family, because she knows that I have my Service Dog who will be looking out for me.” He says he also feels like he’s able to show up as a better husband and father.
Brennan knows firsthand what the loyal support of a Service Dog like Compass means to Veterans like him.
“Donating to K9s For Warriors helps provide the Veteran community the advanced training and tools needed to provide leading-edge support,” he says. And what an important difference that makes.