Aaron and Ruby

The moment that Aaron Mallory, a Marine Corps Veteran, met Rubi, a 2-year-old retriever mix, it was clear that the two were a perfect match.

But that moment didn’t just happen overnight. It takes a whole team of dedicated people to bring together a Veteran and his/her new animal companion, including the trainers who first meet one-on-one with the Veteran to better understand his or her needs, personality and the type of pet that would best suit his or her lifestyle. With this knowledge, the trainer begins searching shelters and rescues to find an animal that is the right breed, personality, size and temperament for the Veteran.

The trainer who worked with Aaron had a tall order to fill. In addition to battling PTSD, Aaron had a busy family with a teen, a toddler, another small dog and two cats. This made a calm temperament essential for Aaron’s new companion. At an adoption fair, the trainer found the perfect fit in Rubi. Although the atmosphere was chaotic, Rubi put her head in the trainer’s lap and ignored all the other activity around her.

In addition to her sweet personality, it turned out that Rubi was very easy to train. In only about eight weeks, she was ready for her new life with Aaron.