DCD with the ABC
In promotion of Defence Community Dogs laying a wreath at the inaugural Last Post Service at The Shrine of Remembrance for Animal Remembrance Day in Melbourne, Sunday 26th February, Thomas and Bruce spoke with Rafael Epstein on ABD Drive.
ADF Veteran Thomas served in the Royal Australian Army and was medically discharged due to injury.
“ Unfortunately, I had a few injuries when serving, and one injury sort of led to another. All I knew at the time is that I had planned on the Defence Force being what I committed my life to, and that was no longer a possibility.
After injuring my knee and that sort of led to another injury with my shoulder and that really just kind spiralled from there. You know, injuries become sort of a lack of confidence and that can affect your mental health.
After discharging I wasn’t in a great place. I was quite lost and didn’t have a real sort of direction. I was totally reliant on my family, my friends, the little support networks that I had and I was not able to do just any general day to day tasks by myself.
I knew something needed to change, and that’s when I applied for a Defence Community Dog. Then I met Bruce. Receiving Bruce from the Defence Bank Foundation has almost definitely saved my life.
Now I have a full-time job. I’ve completed a university degree. Life is only getting started. Bruce provided me with an anchor when I didn’t really know what was coming next. Things were made infinitely easier having the right companion with me.
That source of reliable and constant support. Never judging. Bruce just knows empathy. He’s incredibly perceptive. He knows your emotions before you do.
Bruce knows exactly what needs to be done in the situation, in the environment, to lead to the best outcome for everybody involved. I know that, you know, someone’s really got your back.
Defence Community Dogs are destined to serve, they’re destined to enrich and enable the recovery of the Veterans.
These dogs change your life. The independence and just the actual drive, the motivation to get back out there.
So it’s as simple as that. At the end of the day, these dogs are gifted towards saving Veterans lives. One paw at a time.”