U.S. Army veteran Donald Zuzula recently graduated from a nonprofit organization that pairs service dogs with veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war, and he did so with the help of his friend Harbaugh.
K9s for Warriors in Ponte Vedra, Florida, serves warriors who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or military sexual trauma. Zuzula stayed at Camp K9 for three weeks, receiving 120 hours of training with his new service dog, Harbaugh, who was named after the University of Michigan’s head football coach by the K9s for Warriors organization.
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As part of the program, Zuzula was also provided with housing, home-cooked meals, equipment, vet care, and legal instruction - at no cost to him.
Since graduating from K9s For Warriors in February, Zuzula has returned home and is looking forward to his future and new life with Harbaugh.
"I applied to this program because I heard that a service dog could be life-changing," Zuzula said. "When I found out my dog was named Harbaugh, I knew this was meant to be, because I live Michigan. My biggest hope is that my service dog will take the strain off my mobility issues, so I can do normal things with my family again."
The organization said 29 percent of post-9/11 veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress. Shari Duval founded the nonprofit in 2011 to combat the PTSD crisis and to aid warriors in their recovery from trauma as a result of post-9/11 military service.
Duval learned firsthand about the struggles U.S. military veterans face after her son returned home from two tours in Iraq as a contractor.
"Our program has been so successful, with documented recovery from the debilitating horrors of war," Duval said. "The need to help these veterans is critical and overwhelming. We must do more. Our plans are to expand our current program to continue serving our nation’s greatest asset, military men and women."