It’s been nearly seven years since Becca arrived at K9s For Warriors and met her Service Dog, Bobbi. Becca says the Yellow Lab represents her road to recovery.
We first introduced you to Becca and Bobbi on our blog in 2021. Since then, Becca has taken a new step in her career, helping those struggling with addiction and working to get back on their feet.
This wasn’t always Becca’s reality. After serving active duty in the Army for four years, she found herself depressed and angry. She didn’t know then that these were the first symptoms of PTSD to develop within her.
Barely leaving the house, Becca fell into self-medication, which quickly became an opioid addiction. Opioids eventually led to heroin.
“I was suffering heavily with my PTSD,” she shared. “I was a heroin addict and extremely suicidal. I didn’t feel like there was any hope left in the world for me.”
Becca tried to detox on her own and spent time in and out of rehab. Still, she suffered several overdoses.
“I was no longer a person. I was an addiction living inside of a human body. I couldn’t make decisions. My addiction controlled every thought and every motivation,” Becca told The St. Augustine Record in January. “You would think that overdosing would show me that my life was in shambles, and yet, it never did. I always went back to the addiction.”
It was one day down an internet search rabbit hole that may have changed everything for Becca. A counselor in rehab suggested she spend more time with animals when she researched Service Dogs and found K9s For Warriors online.
Newly sober, Becca came to K9s For Warriors in 2018 straight from another stint in rehab. Navigating this new way of life, she had no sense of self-worth, independence or dignity. On top of that, when Becca first met Bobbi, she thought the dog hated her.
“This goes against the grain,” she admitted. “She was not very affectionate, and I honestly thought that it was the wrong dog for me.
I learned very quickly that trust must be earned.”
Becca and Bobbi worked very hard on their bond.
It got stronger every day.
“The matching process is like Tinder with dogs,”
Becca laughed, recalling how the program pairs Veterans with the optimal Service Dog for their lifestyle.
Over time, the two became inseparable. The moment everything clicked for Becca was when she saw Bobbi acting calmly in a park where recruits were training with weapons. Becca realized if her dog knew everything was going to be okay, she should believe it, too. Since that moment, Becca’s confidence in her Service Dog has flourished.
Becca has been sober since having Bobbi in her life.
Since graduating from K9s For Warriors with Bobbi, Becca has gotten a new job and moved cities. Her new job opportunity was more than two years in the making. She first met St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick while speaking at Florida’s State Capitol, advocating for Veterans. After hearing Becca’s story, the sheriff asked her to work for him. Becca immediately turned him down, citing her history with drugs and distrust of the police.
Over the next two years, Hardwick kept in touch with Becca, calling to check in on her recovery. He was supportive the entire time. Over time, the two built a friendship and Becca eventually took on a role at the St. Johns County Jail. She’s a case manager for inmates, speaking to them before their release about substance abuse, mental health, housing, jobs and their future. Becca says she’s using her history to be a positive member of society for those who need it. It‘s a full circle moment, and Bobbi is to thank.
Life is so much better with Bobbi because she has given me a way to work on myself while she helps mitigate my PTSD symptoms,”
Becca said. “I am just so blessed to have her in my life.”
When asked what advice she would give to fellow Veterans, Becca emphasized how skilled those who have served become at masking their struggles and suppressing their emotions. She recalled convincing herself that seeking help would deprive someone she believed needed it more. Now, Becca urges other Veterans to prioritize their own well-being and healing, reminding them that her bond with Bobbi ultimately saved her life.
“I always tell people that Bobbi is a physical representation of my recovery because I’ve been in recovery as long as I’ve had her,” she said. “She represents everything to me. Everything that I have worked so hard to build, she is the physical representation of all of that.”
