After his unit came under fire in Iraq in 2005, war veteran Randy Dexter hit rock bottom.
Even when he was back on home ground, Randy was unable to move on from the shock and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
He wasn’t aware he was suffering from the condition, so he couldn’t make sense of his feelings and had no idea how to cope. Not only did he feel like a prisoner in his own home, he said it took a whopping 14 different medications daily for him to be able to sleep.
And even then, he didn’t stay asleep for long because he suffered from terrible nightmares.
All that began to change when Captain, his four-legged friend, entered his life. So incredible was the dog’s influence on Randy’s mental health that Randy wrote the dog a thank-you letter, and filmed himself reading it out loud.
“Worst of all, there was a constant thought of taking my own life,” he says in the video.
Then we see him look at Captain.
“And then, I met you,” he says.“Because of you, I’m no longer a prisoner in my own home. Just like my battle buddies were my eyes and ears in Iraq, you’re my eyes and ears here in the states.”
“You allow me to use your shoulders and hips as a brace, when my war-torn body is too sore to get up. You sleep in my bed, always making sure I am safe in my dreams.”
Touchingly, Randy also credits the beautiful dog with helping to save his family, which had been pushed to the brink as a result of Randy’s mental health problems.
“You have saved my marriage, and completely enriched my children’s lives. And best of all, I can’t remember the last time I had a suicidal thought.”
You can watch the moving clip below. A fantastic reminder that dogs truly are man’s best friend!
