We all know that dogs make some of the world’s most affectionate and loyal pets.
But alongside all of the sweet canine companions are plenty of other dogs that aren’t just loveable goofballs; they’re full time professionals with important jobs to do.
Dogs that show an aptitude for something beyond snuggling and giving slobbery kisses are often trained into more complicated jobs, like tracking down criminals for the police, or helping people with disabilities get around.
Therapy support is one of the most powerful and important jobs among service dogs.
Therapy dogs, or emotional support dogs, provide love, affection, and much-needed reassurance to people struggling with all sorts of complicated issues, from cancer and Alzheimer’s to attempting to remember the details of a crime.
Therapy dogs also play a huge role in providing emotional support and comfort to members of the armed forces returning home from war, often with physical, mental, or spiritual wounds in tow.
Here’s how one member of the Air Force decided to thank a beautiful therapy dog in his community.
This pretty girl is Sophie the golden retriever.
She's a therapy dog, and she dedicates her time — and adorably fluffy cuddles — to providing support for disabled veterans.
As you can see, she's wearing a rather sharp uniform, complete with a patch for her name, and looks like she just stepped out of basic training with the specific intention of making veterans' lives better — though you'll note her haircut isn't exactly up to regulation.
She's wearing her very own ABU, or Airman Battle Uniform (or perhaps we should call it an Airdog Battle Uniform) which is the combat uniform for the U.S. Air Force.
Her uniform comes courtesy of her neighbor, an Air Force vet who has also served in other branches of the military, and was more than happy to give up a uniform he hadn't worn in years for such a good cause!
As he explained on photo-sharing site Imgur, "Gave a neighbor a pair of my oldest ABUs. He made this for his therapy dog to wear when they visit Disabled Veterans."
ABUs are a standard part of Air Force dress, and have been in popular usage since 2003, but we're guessing that this is the first time that a set have been tailored to fit a pooch!
We're thinking that maybe Sophie is a bit of a trendsetter; we can see the appeal in having similar fatigues made for other veteran therapy dogs as a way to brighten the days of wounded warriors all across the country.
After all, military K-9's that serve in the armed forces do have a uniform of sorts too; they usually wear a khaki or camouflage vest.
In fact, there are quite a few variations on the theme of creating army-issue "uniforms" for the wonderful service animals that help out so many soldiers when they arrive home.
Wounded Warriors might have physical injuries, or suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; often, the two go hand-in-hand.
Therapy dogs provide an important service for these veterans by giving them unconditional love and unflagging loyalty; we love the idea of honoring everything they do for servicemen and women.
In fact, in addition to Sophie's one-off tailoring job, there are lots of other organizations around that help to recycle old service uniforms that might carry difficult memories into beautiful, poignant vests for therapy and service dogs to wear.
For example, there's an organization called Dog Vests 4 Vets that carefully handcrafts custom-made canine vests for therapy dogs, free of charge.
As they explain in their IndieGoGo campaign to raise money for the cause, "When a dog wears a vest created from the service member's own uniform, the dog wears the pride each member has earned. The dog and vest also take on the role of battle buddy which was so important while in action."
There's something very poetic about helping our warriors to heal, and using their own old fatigues as part of the healing process.
If you're interested in learning more about having uniforms tailored to therapy dogs, check out the charitable organization Dog Vests 4 Vets.
If you're impressed with this touching and patriotic way of recycling old uniforms, please make sure to SHARE with friends and family that support our troops!
