By Maria Sellers
Published: Jan. 13, 2023 at 3:54 PM EST
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - For more than a decade, a local non-profit has been offering free service animal training to veterans.
We stopped by a training class to bring us more about the program.
These dogs are in training to be service animals for veterans like Andrea Triplett.
Triplett says, "I went from living on Fort Gordon and not leaving my apartment to you know, now working again, to being able to do that was huge, you know, being able to get most of my life back."
Her first service dog is ready to retire, so she is training Ziggy to help her with anxiety, and warn her about health conditions like migraines.
"These dogs help us and there's more to it than just pet," Triplett says.
"They'll alert you and they'll know you," Amy McGowan says after recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
McGowan says, "I had to learn everything all over again, how to walk how to talk, how to think."
She is training her first service animal Oliver to help her with her triggers.
McGowan says, "He's the kind of dog that you can see all he wants to do is please me, he's a great comfort dog. He can sense things. He knows when I'm sick."
It's all through the non-profit organization, Veterans K9 Solutions.
Jerry Lyda, a co-founder of Veterans K9 Solutions, says, " We have this service to help them. and we appreciate that we appreciate what they've done for our country."
And the veterans appreciate it and encourage anyone in need of help to take that step too.
McGowan shares, "They have been truly wonderful here. I highly recommend it to anybody."
Triplett shares, "Sometimes service members are afraid to reach out for that help and to have that animal could make a huge difference in your life."
To inquire about the program call 706- 832-4144.
Non-profit offers free K9 service dog training for veterans
For more than a decade, a local non-profit, Veteran K9 Solutions, has been offering free service animal training to veterans.
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