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Richie is an excellent example of the transformation shelter animals can go through when given a second chance. Found on a busy street, Richie was scared and shaking. He was brought to a local shelter with a bad limp and covered in bloody gashes. It was hypothesized that he was attacked by another dog or hit by a vehicle … or both. Yet ARF’s Pets and Vets team saw something special in Richie.

From the moment they first laid eyes on him, his tail started wagging and he greeted them with a slobbery kiss on the cheek. The next thing he knew, Richie was on his way back to ARF to start his new life chapter: becoming a psychiatric service dog for a military veteran. Today, Richie is a confident, cuddly, gentle service-animal-in-training — a complete turnaround from being lost and injured on the streets.

“We go everywhere. He’s my road dog. He literally goes everywhere I go.”

Donald, Pets and Vets Veteran

To submit your ARF-adopted pet’s story and photos, fill out our online submission form.

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