"Meeting My Juno" - Featured in an anthology

Walk in My Paws: An Anthology of Service Dog Stories is a collection of stories of service dogs and their handlers. Each chapter is copyright by its author. The book releases in fall of 2019. This collection is by Amazon #1 best-selling and award-winning author Ronda Del Boccio and R. Rice.

How My Dog Showed Me My Life Purpose

by Matt Burgess

I served in the military for eight years with deployments to Bosnia, Macedonia and Iraq. During those deployments, I experienced 4 blast explosions, creating Traumatic Brain Injury as well as a reaction to the Anthrax. This also resulted in 18 previously nonexistent medical conditions.

While undergoing a sleep study at Walter Reed Army Hospital, I was given large amounts of Ambien. Much like the date rape drugs, this made me conscious, yet powerless to stop the male sleep technician from making me become his next victim.

I was medically retired from the Military in 2006. Two years later, after losing my house, cars, and good credit rating, I received a 100% permanent and total VA Disability Rating as well as Combat Related Special Compensation.

During 2012, while enrolled at UGA, my longtime pet of 15 years passed away. Consequently, I decided to go to the Athens, GA animal shelter to see if I could find another dog to adopt. When I walked into the first kennel, a little fluffy brown and black bundle of fur ran up and started chewing my shoelaces, almost like he was verbally pleading with me, “PLEASE take me.”