SAN ANTONIO — If you had the opportunity to have a friend for life after experiencing your darkest days, wouldn't you take that chance? Manager for warrior training Randy Butcher is encouraging you to take that opportunity.
“You can hear about it and you’re told about it when you’re a warrior, but when you actually see it, it hits home.”
Butcher and his four-legged partner Nova have been partners for just over a month and a half.
“[I] have just over 22 years,” he said. “I started in the Marine Corps in 1985.”
After two decades of service – Butcher fell victim to traumatic stress.
“I myself in 2009, OD’d on sleeping pills,” he said. “Just because I was done, you know getting that second chance it was a huge thing for me.”
Both Butcher and Nova had a second chance at life.
“The Canadian wildfires I wanna say a little over a year ago, she was with an agency that had to have the dogs rescued because they couldn’t take care of them.”
Nova is attentive to Butcher’s needs – just like the other dogs that are trained for six to nine months.
“She’s very attentive and knows all her commands,” he said. “It provides focus, because for a lot of us, if we can focus on something it allows our mind not to wander off.”
You can donate money or your time by volunteering. Click here (https://k9sforwarriors.org/) to learn more.