Part of each sale through the iHeartDogs store is donated to Greater Good, which helps support various charities. Thanks to customers like you, happy endings, like the one below, are made possible.
Melani J. is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served nearly 10 years from April 25, 2006. Deployed twice, she was stationed in Oman and Afghanistan and worked in Human Resources Management. She was the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of Casualty Operations, which processed reports, ensured timely next of kin notifications and oversaw ramp ceremonies for over 900 casualties. She also volunteered as an English as a Second Language teacher through the International Refugee Committee, and was active with the American Red Cross, The Fisher House, and did Missionary work through Centro De Vida.
Melani describes coping with stress in the military, and the challenges she faced after: “Being a part of the military family made up for the deployments in combat zones, long hours, high stress, and 24-hour operations. Simply having the support of my brothers and sisters serving with me made a tremendous impact on my ability to cope with the physical and mental demands of serving. However, after 10 years of service in the United States Air Force, I made the decision to leave the military and focus on the fight for my life. Battling pulmonary vascular disease, blood clots, respiratory distress, high blood pressure and more, became my full-time commitment. Because of the long hours at the VA hospital and the reality of the life-threatening conditions I was facing, I was unable to work for a year. This time, I had no one to support me in the fight of my life, no one who really understood what I was and am facing. The anxiety of not knowing if I would live or die from day to day became overwhelming and I became depressed. Depression was my biggest foe in the fight for my life.
“After fighting alone for over a year, I adopted Abigail through Pets for Vets – ROAR-Ridgefield CT. From the very first day, Abby has been my constant companion. Where I go, so does Abigail, constantly supporting me and cheering me on in her own way. Abigail can sense how I am feeling. When I am down, she is there quietly supporting me. When I have my good days, Abigail is also there, tail wagging ready to have a good time. Somehow, Abby has become my new family and makes the struggles of chronic health challenges bearable. Since adopting Abigail, my blood pressure has been lower, and I have had more days that are better than not. Abigail understands what I have been through and where I want to go. I know that she’ll be with me every step of the way.
“Since my separation, I have been working part-time as a mentor to high risk teens and am pursing my PhD in Adult Learning at the University of Connecticut, and Abigail is right by my side.” – Melani J
Every time you purchase items supporting Pets for Vets from iHeartDogs, you help us contribute to Pets & Vets success stories like these!
