Mando the Commanders Top FA Acquisition last Off-season’s Interview

[turtle28]

For some veterans, finding a dog with an energy level and a skill set that align with their needs can be difficult. That was the case for David Crenshaw, a retired master sergeant with the Army National Guard who served 20 years, including roughly 14 months deployed in Iraq.
 

He also taught at a military training facility in New Jersey and was previously a police officer and a firefighter. “I have what’s called complex PTSD,” Crenshaw said. “… Oftentimes you feel like you’re an island by yourself; no one will understand you, and ultimately you can end up losing your job. It leaves you in a place of vulnerability and loss of control.”

Crenshaw tried the traditional modalities prescribed to him, including therapy and medication, but none were “wholesome enough,” he said. He had friends who had donated dogs to K9s For Warriors, and eventually he inquired about the program. “I went into K9s For Warriors on hope and faith,” said Crenshaw, who is now an ambassador for the program. “I was hoping it was going to work, and I had to have faith … that they were going to deliver what they were advertising.”

When Crenshaw arrived at the organization’s Florida headquarters nearly three years ago, a four-legged creature eyed him from afar and immediately eased his worry about the process.

“I’m still trying to be this tough guy, still trying to put up this hard exterior,” Crenshaw recalled. “And then finally I sit down, and he just jumps in my lap, and he’s licking and kissing me and loving all over me.
 

That was probably the first time in a long time that I had true, proper emotion to a situation. And that’s when I realized we’re going to be on a good journey.”

Edited November 24, 2022 by turtle28