On Monday, the Vietnam War veteran stood before the
Jeffersonville City Council — his faithful service dog, Johnny Cash, at his
side — to lend support to an organization and an event close to his heart.
Johnny Cash rest his head on the lap of it's owner, John Wells, a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD
Wells was the second recipient of a service dog from Dogs
Helping Heroes, a Clarksville, Indiana based nonprofit organization that pairs wounded
military members and first responders, or "heroes," with service
dogs.
"It's been a big change for me," Wells told the
council. "It's just awesome what Dogs Helping Heroes has done for me."
"I wouldn't go out and do what I'm doing right
now."
What Wells was doing was supporting a group of Southern
Indiana high school students with Leadership Southern Indiana's NEXGEN program
that has organized an inaugural dog walk at Big Four Station Park to raise
awareness, and funds, for Dogs Helping Heroes.
Louisville resident John Wells with his service dog, a Labrador named Johnny Cash.
While the group was seeking financial support from the city
for the dog walk, the bigger inspiration was to spread the word about the
organization.
"It's just really to raise awareness, because not a lot
of people know about it," Lauren Jacobs, 17, a junior at Jeffersonville
High School, said before Monday's meeting. "This is a pretty awesome
cause, and hopefully more people can know about it and become aware of
it."
Council president Lisa Gill told the students that the
council would take their request under advisement, and she thanked Wells for
his service and for appearing before the council.
The goal of the April 7 event, which begins at 2 p.m., is to
raise $40,000 to provide 10 heroes with a service dog. It's a big slice of the
organization's overall fundraising goal of $80,000 that would provide 20
service dogs for veterans.
A service dog can cost as much as $30,000 — "a pretty
hefty price for someone who has risked so much," Jacobs told the council —
which is where Dogs Helping Heroes steps up. The organization uses rescue dogs,
with inmates performing a portion of training, which significantly reduces
expenses while providing veterans and first responders a service dog at no
cost.
The veterans and first responders suffer from post-traumatic
stress, traumatic brain injuries and physical disabilities, with many confined
to their homes. Wells, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in
2003, and learned he has Parkinson's disease two years ago, was paired with
Cash three years ago this May.
"I didn't go out much. I'm still having a hard time
going out without Cash," said Wells, 70, who served in the 1st Marines
Division. "I never go anywhere without Cash."
But there he was Monday, with Cash, and three high school
students — Jacobs was joined by Nathan Eckert, 17, a junior at Silver Creek
High School, and Adela Zimbro, 16, a junior at Charlestown High School — at his
side.
David Benson, executive director of Dogs Helping Heroes,
said when he first met Wells, the veteran was "literally a prisoner in his
own home." Benson arrived late Monday only to find out that Wells stood
front and center with his new friends.
"Normally John would have been like, 'I'm not going
without you,'" Benson said. "He got up and spoke in front of
everybody."
That's the point of Dogs Helping Heroes, and the April
fundraising event — to give heroes the courage to stand up.
"What happens is these men and women, many of our
heroes, just come back to life," Benson said. "They feel more
confident, they feel more comfortable, their anxiety levels drop, because they
have their battle buddy with them, they've got somebody to watch their
back."
For Wells, Cash has meant the difference between life and
death.For more information on Dogs Helping Heroes, visit their website at: - Dogs Helping Heroes -
"Thank God I got him," he told the council,
"because I wouldn't have made it another year."
SOURCE: News and Tribune
Story: Jason Thomas
Photos: Tyler Stewart