I have had countless conversations explaining our organization. I am mostly greeted with positive responses, but some people are confused and skeptical about how a dog can help. I get emotional and frustrated on how to communicate properly the many benefits a Stiggy’s Dog.

Now, I don’t have to….This email leaves no room for explanation. Thank you Sgt. James Johnson for sharing.

You are my inspiration…

I have had  conversations with numerous different Veterans, and one consistent factor in all, is a fear (anxiety) of going out in public. Here is an email I received after Jamey and Tiger took that step of going into a store together for the first time:

October 15th 2020

Jen,

Ok, So…  Friday after getting released early, I decided to go to the Gamestop on base and pick up the new Medal of Honor (I had heard good things). I went by there and they said that no military base in the US or UK could sale the game due to an option play as a “Taliban like” opposing force in multiplayer mode…

So, I couldn’t get it on base for those reasons and when I got home, I walked Tiger… and there were so many dogs around off there leashes, that I told Shawna… “I was gonna get that game today, but they didn’t have it on base, and you’re busy with Cooper now… and Tiger didn’t get enough out of his walk… I’m gonna take him to Gamestop with me to get Medal of Honor.” So we loaded up in the truck… man and his dog… and rode out. He had his needle snout half way out the window the whole way there like he knew that we were going out. I felt bad… like I knew that I had been an introvert with him… and I had been… and that’s something that I have been worrying about. Anyway, we had arrived, he got out of the truck, and had to have few solid sniff’s around the soiled asphalt in the parking lot (what dog wouldn’t)… we walked in two quick circles and I knew he was ready. (*note- I knew HE WAS READY… AT THIS POINT… I WAS MENTALLY LEANING ON HIM… I WASN’T READY AND I WASN’T ABOUT TO SPEND AN HOUR IN THE PARKING LOT OF WALMART/GAMESTOP GETTING READY TO MAKE A 3 MINUTE PURCHASE. I WAS LEANING ON HIM***) So, I took several deep breaths and we started to walk towards the store… the whole time, I was talking to him; he was checking in with me the whole time (either to reassure me… or either to let me know that hey man… “I’m a pro… or  “Hey bud, are you ok?”. Whatever the case, we stop before the door, he sat on command, he waited until I command him “enough” to enter the store… that’s when I lost it and HE TOOK CONTROL… I mean, I knew what I came there for and I found it right away… and got in line… nobody said a word!

BUT TIGER (IN MY EYES), being the elephant in the room, SAID, “I’m the elephant in the room…. let me break the ice for you…” so, he reached out and sniffed the guys leg in front of me in line… he turned around; I immediately apologized… “I’m sorry man”… He was like… “no problem, are you from 1/6? I’m from 1/6 and a couple of my buddies from 1/6 have got therapy dog from this “new program” and God knows they sure do help….”… I couldn’t respond to him… for some reason…

The next thing I knew it was my turn in line and the lady asked ” how can I help you?”… I handed her the blank MOH case and she asked if it was for PS3 or XBOX and I could barely get PS3 out of my mouth, but I did… never the less…

It was a VICTORY!!! I PAID, WE LEFT, AND WE DID IT TOGETHER! It was GREAT! …  Tiger is such an amazing soul…
-Jamey