Eddy and Sam

Eddy is in his 21st year of service, with three tours overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. He pulled security at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the Winter Olympics in Utah, was dispatched to Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina and stood guard for Homeland Security after 9/11. In addition, Eddy has been on a wide variety of emergency responses for the state of Connecticut including floods, riots and hurricanes.

The ROAR-Ridgefield chapter of Pets for Vets was honored to be able to give back to Eddy for his service by matching him with Sam, a stray found wandering down a road in Mississippi. Sam was malnourished, covered with old scars and heartworm positive. After recovering in a foster home, Sam was brought to Connecticut by Homeward Bound Rescue and recommended to Pets for Vets due to his wonderful demeanor.

According to this update from Eddy, the match has been a huge success for both of them:

"Didi, words can’t explain how grateful I am to have Sam in my life. From day one to this point he's filled a gap in my heart that's been missing for some time. That was instantaneous from the first moment we met. If you remember he came right to me and placed his head on my chest as if to say “take a knee, SFC, I'm here to help just show me love”.

I have had a couple of difficult years dealing with a number of issues that caused me to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It's difficult to describe how I was feeling as it seemed that one day I was dealing with and facing my problems and the next I was in an endless pit of hell. Then comes treatment and meds. I hate meds and treatments but I'm learning to get used to it.

Then Sam came into my life. His peace is two-fold. He steals my depression and I love him. Sam got me off the couch! Sam introduced me to all of the wonderful people he got to know on his journey. Great people hang with great dogs!!!! Sam's non-verbal communication seems so easy to read. It's as if he and I were old friends in another life.

Sam has also helped me start to bridge the gap with explaining some of what is going on in my life with my family. Depression is not what I ever wanted to put on my family, explaining Sam to my mother and sister and how I came to have him in my life made me feel more comfortable to tell them what I have been going through over the past two years or more.

I'm a proud man and don't like to ask for help. Thanks to YOU, Mary Jo and the many others along the way I found peace with my illness. Thanks to Sam I found the daily will to keep healing. I hope this explains the deep appreciation I have for you all.

P.S. The funny thing about adoption is that this is only one story, the Sam story has yet to be told. I’m working on translating dog. Love you all!!!!"