U.S. Navy veteran shares how Rosie helps fight off the demons and keep him going.
National Service Dog Day was Sept. 20 and is designed to honor the role of service dogs in the lives of people with disabilities and America's veterans. The day was designated by Congress in 2023 and is part of September’s National Service Dog Month.
We asked you to share how your service dog has impacted your life, so we can share your story with others. We will continue to publish those stories throughout September.
Submit your own story and photo on www.legiontown.org in the “Why I Love My Service Animal” section.
Our latest in the series is from U.S. Navy veteran Anthony Dernardo, whose service dog Rosie gave him a reason to keep going.
So where to begin? We all at times feel as if we are broken. For me this was so much more than a feeling. I was totally busted, thinking that I was unfixable and was ready to take my own life.
I truly can’t remember how I found the Working Dogs for Vets program, but I do recall saying that if I wasn’t able to get some sort of fix on this trip I wasn’t going home. I was going to meet God.
I showed up and remember that I was early and very apprehensive. I was told to go sit on the benches and watch the trainers work with the dogs while my paperwork was put in order. I watched intently, sizing up all the different marvelous animals. It was then that I noticed one girl who seemed as broken as I. Her name was Rosie and she was a girl who would change my life forever. She was hesitant and unsure of herself, as was I. It seems as if we had so much in common.
I later found out her story. She was beaten badly as a pup and was afraid of her own shadow. It seemed like we had so much in common. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that we would form such a true bond and the picture-perfect love story.
I was paired with Rosie and the magic started. She, like I, was hesitant, but she started to come out of her shell and started leading me on a journey that we both would never forget. That first day I took Rosie back to the hotel with me and she slept with me, nuzzling close as if to tell me that we both were going to survive, for the first time in years I slept through the night, I can’t explain why. Maybe because she was there to protect me and keep the demons at bay, or maybe it was just feeling her breathing against my chest.
There were many times during the first few months that I didn’t think that I could get through the chaos of life, but Rosie was always there (even though she was a scared little girl). She didn’t let me quit; she always presented me with new challenges. The bond that was forming was one that I really had never experienced and had never known. She was as dependent on me as I was her, for we were both broken souls.
As time passed we both learned from each other that we were not perfect, but perfect for each other. She taught me that we need to give to get – something that i never understood before. When she was frightened, she would lean on me for strength and I on her, even though it seemed as if it was me doing all the leaning. Never once did she falter, always giving me the strength to face each new day and the harrowing experiences that i would face
Let me expound. Many years ago I was faced with a life-changing decision to kill or be killed. I made the apparent choice since I’m writing this. Since then, the demons have haunted me each and every day, always raising their monstrous heads at the worst time.
Rosie was ALWAYS there to put those demons at bay. My girl refused to let me succumb to the thoughts of letting the demons win. No matter how difficult the day seemed, I was always greeted with what has now become a loving ritual: a single gentle kiss on the nose. Nothing more, just a gesture that said, “Dad, I've got your back”, and with this I knew that I was protected. It was things like getting into a block position (placing herself between myself and a stranger who was standing to close), immediately doing DPT (laying her full body weight on me during panic attacks), or intently pawing at me to wake me during nightmares to keep them from transitioning into full blown night terrors that kept me sane and able to once again actually re-enter society as a semi normal human. It is a debt that I will never be able to repay.
Fast forward a few years to surgery that didn't go well. I was given the news that I was now terminal. I was faced with a choice: continue to try and fight or succumb to my own hand and end the suffering. I thought long and hard and decided that I needed to continue the fight because I had made a promise that since Rosie had taken care of me, I would continue to care for her as long as I could.
With each passing day we were faced with ever-challenging situations, from losing over 60 pounds and not having the energy to go for walks and exercise that was desperately needed, to attending doctors’ appointments where the prognosis was always the same: GET YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER.
Rosie was always there nuzzling close as the news was broken, somehow saying, “Dad, don’t listen. I don't believe them.” Well, it's been almost two years, and because I trusted Rosie’s instincts and continued to fight, knowing that each day I would keep my promise to care for her as she had me. There was an incentive to push forward, greeting each morning that I awoke as a blessing. Every morning was started with that signature kiss on the nose, saying, “Dad push on and we’ll both survive.” Nothing could be more true. Each day I know that if it hadn't been for her unconditional love, I would not be still on earth and being able to help others get through their struggles – something that a scared little girl taught me. I will always be in her debt.
Rosie girl, I LOVE YOU!
- Veterans Healthcare