By: Emma Wheeler | WCTV Eyewitness News
February 4, 2020
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) -- Fidos in Valdosta are helping serve those who fought for freedoms.
Valor Service Dogs is searching for puppy coaches and sitters in Valdosta. The Tampa based non-profit organization helps partner service dogs to wounded veterans, and are now expanding to South Georgia.
Ryan Bodge served in the United States Air Force for nearly thirty years. The Purple Heart recipient served several tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he's serving other veterans his Valor Service Dog, Bradley.
When Bodge first heard about Valor Service Dogs, little did he know it would become his future after retirement. Bodge first began volunteering with the organization, working with the dogs and other veterans.
"I felt totally different, like calmer," Bodge said of his time with the dogs. "Things didn't exist, those thoughts that were in my head that would really run rampant, didn't during that period."
That's when he applied for his own service dog.
Valor Service Dogs trains dogs to help wounded veterans recover and gain independence. Since 2015, the organization has graduated 11 dogs, now serving veterans with physical disabilities, brain injuries and PTSD. The program also recently expanded to serve first responders.
"It came towards the end that deployment upon deployment, because really my mindset was, my home station time was fine, I live for deployments. I realized that wasn't healthy after awhile," Bodge said. "It took doctors and it took therapists and it took very close friends to say hey, it's not that you're a warmonger, but that stuff is going to catch up to you. And it starting to catch up to me."
The organization found a partner for Bodge in Bradley last January, the first program graduate in Valdosta. He now serves as the Program Manager for the South Georgia Region and primary trainer for local volunteers.
Valor service dogs is looking for volunteers to help as puppy coaches and sitters to lead the way for more veterans to find their Bradley.
Puppy coaches help take care of the dogs for about 18 months to two years. After that, they go back to the organization founders in Tampa for final training before partnering with a veteran in need. Coaches take the dogs everywhere, getting them acclimated to the program. Sitters help give them a break.
Bodge will help the volunteers with training along the way. Valor Service Dogs covers all the costs to raising the dogs.
Those interested can contact Valor Service Dogs by clicking here.
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