Operation Dog Tag has found a suitable female Shepherd-X for Raphael, and it is a fantastic match. Needless to say, he and his new friend “Gibby” are doing great. Here is what Raphael had to say... “For those of us with PTSD, everyday is a battle, usually a losing one. I knew that I desperately needed help, beyond what the usual clinical treatments provided. So I began looking into service dogs for individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After contacting Operation Dog Tag in Spokane, WA, I was accepted into their program. That proved to be exactly what I needed! Even though I have only had my dog Gibby a short while, she has already significantly helped to alleviate many of my symptoms that are associated with PTSD. For the first time in years I can sleep longer than 4 hours a night. I am also far more relaxed because I can trust her to see things long before I ever could. But perhaps even more important, she has become a family companion, and as such, she gives me a practical reason to get up everyday. So I now have a positive outlook because she needs me to fulfill my duty and obligation to look after her just as she looks after me.”

Raphael Lewis / US Army