Wounded veteran gets his service dog to be the best man at his wedding
That was the case for one veteran and his beloved service dog, who have such an unbreakable bond that when it came to his wedding day, he had to have his dog involved in a special way.
Justin Lansford is a US Army veteran from Silver Spring, Maryland. In 2012, he was deployed as a paratrooper to Afghanistan and suffered an accident.
“We struck an IED and it flipped my truck completely,” Justin told ABC News. “I had bilaterally severed femurs which resulted in the amputation of my left leg.”
But while recovering at the hospital, Justin got an opportunity that would change his life. A group called Warrior Canine Connections pairs wounded servicemen with support dogs.
Justin was paired with a golden retriever named Gabe.
“The less I use my wheelchair, the more I need his help in smaller tasks and the more he is there,” Justin said. “It has been very comforting to know that.”
“He helps me with one thing to the next. I can use him as a stable surface to lean on, as I get to and from the ground.
If I fall, he’ll come up running next to me and I can use him to push off of to get up off the ground.”
The dog made a big impact not only on Justin, but on his longtime girlfriend Carol, who worked for Warrior Canine Connections and knew the deep connection they shared.
“You have to make sure a support dog is always happy and that they’ll love the person they’re with forever,” Carol told Buzzfeed.
“The second Justin walked into the room when they met, Gabe was wiggling, crying, and rolling on the floor.”
“He goes everywhere I go,” Justin told the Daily News. “He’s certainly there to pick me up emotionally when I need it. Why would the wedding be any different?”
“He is a huge part of our life and deserves to share in the moment with us.”