5
Returning to the US as a retired, disabled veteran, life
looked different for Justin. He felt like he was turning
into a hermit. When Justin did leave the house, he was in
a constant state of worry, no matter where he went. He
felt depressed, frustrated, and at times, angry. Justin was
interested in the security and comfort provided by a service
dog, so he went to his local VA for assistance. “The VA, at
the time, didn’t really know much about service dogs. After
being denied the use of a service dog for PTSD, I then found
Roxy on a Craigslist ad for $100. Literally, the best $100
I ever spent,” says Justin.
Justin got Roxy when she was 11 months old (she will be
6 years old this November). Justin immediately started
training Roxy on his own and shortly thereafter took
her to a professional training company to promote her
certifications. Roxy is trained in basic and advanced
obedience. She is also trained to identify PTSD trigger
behaviors. With Justin, upon indication of a trigger behavior,
Roxy will gently use a touch command to alert him of his
behavior and return him to a calm state.
Justin isn’t constantly looking over his shoulder anymore.
With a renewed confidence, Justin felt empowered to
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share the healing power of service dogs with others in
the community. “Just having service dogs here in the
community shows the world that we’re asking for help, and
it’s not a bad thing to ask for help. Roxy is just like medical,
working equipment, no different than an oxygen machine.
Although she’s my best friend, this is a working dog. She has
a job to do,” Justin says.
Roxy regularly visits local VA hospitals to interact and cheer
up patients. “People seem like they understand her. She’s
a misinterpreted breed, just like veterans are sometimes
misinterpreted,” Justin says. Justin assists veterans in
finding the right match in a dog by accompanying them to
a local shelter and performing temperament testing. Justin
and Roxy work together to help veterans train their dogs to
meet their specific needs. Roxy is also the face of Haywood
Spay and Neuter’s Roxy Fund, a fund that offsets pet costs
(spay/neuter, microchip, etc.) for Haywood County veterans.
To learn more about Roxy, check out her Facebook page at
facebook.com/roxytheptsdservicedog
If you know someone in our community that Makes A
Difference and you think they deserve to be recognized,
please email us at people@moxxiemarketing.com. Let us
know who they are and how they make a difference.
/roxytheptsdservicedog
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