WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – More than 3,000 U.S. veterans use service dogs, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

September is Service Dog Awareness Month, and one local organization is doing its part to help veterans overcome challenges.

Canines for Service began in 1996 and has helped veterans who deal with many kinds of conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and even mobility limitations. But training their soon-to-be service dogs is a long process.

Reagan Stauffer has always wanted to make a difference for veterans.

“I heard many stories of people who struggled to leave their homes, they couldn’t work, they couldn’t spend time with families and I heard how service dogs changed their quality of life. So I wanted to get into that type of work,” said Stauffer, lead trainer for Canines for Service.

Volunteers like Stauffer meet the dogs as puppies, then they live and work together for months and years training every day to do specific tasks that a service member may need.

“That dog is going to live a bigger purpose and is going to help a veteran in a way that we could not imagine ourselves,” said Stauffer.

Including, physical needs like turning on lights or retrieving car keys, to mental needs.

“So everything, they learn to do is to help mitigate one of those concerns in some way,” said Stauffer.

Laura Hawley knows first-hand how the program helps a veteran. She adopted Perry after ending her military service in October 2020.

“Perry has really helped me getting out into the community, being able to share him with the community is great,” said Laura Hawley , who volunteers with Canines for Service.

Laura is using her experiences with Perry to help others who may be going through a hard time.

“After I had him for about six months, we became a therapy team,” said Hawley.

Both Hawley and Stauffer said there is nothing better than giving a service dog to their new owner and seeing how the partnership makes a difference.

“One of our veterans did his interview in a dark room, and said he was struggling to leave his home or spend time with his family. I saw him recently and he no longer needs to see his psychiatrist because his dog is doing everything that she needs to do for him,” said Stauffer.

This is just one of many success stories of veterans who now have a new way of life, thanks to their new best and forever friend.

“It’s a bond that is pretty irreplaceable,” Stauffer added.

If you are a veteran and interested in the program, or even want to help volunteer, you can apply to Canines for Service here.

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