Davis and Lady

I met Davis in the Occupational Therapy room at the VA Long Beach. When he met my dog, Bear, he told me how much a dog of his own would enhance his life.

Davis was drafted into the Army in 1964 and spent one year serving in Vietnam. While in Vietnam he was exposed to Agent Orange which later led to many medical complications, including diabetes, amputation of his leg in 2005 and becoming a partial paraplegic.

Lady was donated to the Pets for Vets program by the Newbury Park Pet Supply. Lady was abandoned on the streets of Bakersfield and picked up by Kern County Animal Shelter. Josh, owner of Newbury Park Pet Supply, rescued Lady from Kern County. Lady suffered from an intestinal parasite infestation and kennel cough. She spent a month with Pets for Vets trainer, Clarissa, being nursed back to health and trained to fit into Davis’s daily life. Her training included basic obedience and desensitization to wheelchairs and crutches. Lady learned how to safely walk next to a wheel chair and to gently put her feet up for snuggles and harness attachment.

When Davis met Lady for the first time he instantly fell in love and Lady knew she was home. They now spend every day together keeping each other company.