My first “Everyday Heroes” column began with a suicidal veteran named Blade. He had served as a Marine Corps medic for an artillery unit in Iraq, and after returning home to California, he struggled with PTSD, nightmares, alcoholism, and sudden rage.
“I need someone to love me,” Blade told a suicide hotline.
The next day, he applied for a companion dog with Pets for Vets, a nonprofit that pairs animals with veterans. Blade was matched with D.D., an abandoned pit bull/Labrador mix — all of Pets for Vets’ animals are rescued from shelters — and the bond was instantaneous. D.D. was trained to wake Blade during nightmares, and her presence soothed him. “D.D. saved my life,” Blade said.
Pets for Vets was founded by animal trainer Clarissa Black. She was the first person I profiled back in 2018, and I was moved by her compassion, her vigor, and the joy she felt from her work.
“I love seeing the smiles on the veterans’ faces and the happy body language of the dogs,” Black said. “One gentleman told me that he lost
