Key Takeaways
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When Dodi first spotted Ben, he was trying to get her attention while walking down a ramp at their duty station in Hawaii. He fell. She laughed, helped him up, and the rest is history.
Both served in the Army. Dodi was a military police officer, and Ben was an infantryman. Like many Veterans, they returned home carrying invisible wounds. The trauma of their service followed them into civilian life, affecting their mental health, their daily routines, and their relationship.
Decades and four children later, they would find themselves learning to heal together with the help of Northwest Battle Buddies (NWBB).
Before receiving their service dogs, both Dodi and Ben were surviving, but barely. Dodi worked with doctors and tried therapy, though it was mostly unsuccessful. Ben was simply surviving, with no end in sight.
"Both of us were a shell of ourselves," Dodi explained.
For many Veterans, PTSD makes daily life exhausting. The hypervigilance, anxiety, nightmares, and emotional numbness can turn even routine activities into overwhelming obstacles.
For Dodi and Ben, those struggles were compounded by the fact that they were trying to support each other while both were drowning. When one was struggling, the other absorbed it. Without realizing it, they had become each other's unofficial service people, carrying a weight neither was equipped to handle alone.
One day, Dodi saw NWBB trainers working with dogs at a local mall. She approached them and asked about the program for her husband.
Ben went through NWBB's training program first and was matched with Phoenix, a calm and steady golden retriever. For his homework, he chose to practice at Costco and asked Dodi to come along. Inside, he told her he was feeling anxious, and she told him to focus on his dog.
As Ben's attention shifted to Phoenix, Dodi felt something she hadn't expected: overwhelming dread.
"It was the feeling many Veterans describe as being hyper-aware, unsafe, and on edge," Dodi recalled. "That moment really stood out to me because it made me realize how much support my husband had provided me. I always thought I was his service person, but how exposed I felt without him made me realize we were each other's service people."
They had to leave immediately, not because of Ben, but because Dodi felt a panic attack coming on. In the car, she wrapped her arms around Phoenix and focused on her fur and heartbeat until her breathing calmed.
"I was sold [on PTSD service dogs]," Dodi said, "and my husband was able to say he was right."
Ben remembers being struck by Phoenix's calm presence from the start. "She didn't rush me or demand attention. She just was. Steady, observant, and quietly present," he said.
Dodi's service dog, Diamond, was the opposite. "Phoenix came to us without any fanfare or fireworks. Diamond arrived like a train wreck with paws," Dodi said.
But that energy was exactly what Dodi needed. With her children grown, she found herself alone with her thoughts, drifting, and dissociating. Diamond didn't allow that. She demanded engagement, awareness, and presence. Where Phoenix brought Ben calm, Diamond brought Dodi back to reality.
Both dogs are golden retrievers, both are seven years old, and both have become absolutely essential to their Veterans' daily lives.
Before receiving the dogs, Dodi and Ben's relationship was volatile. They loved each other deeply, but they were both operating in survival mode. When one struggled, the other absorbed it and often made things worse.
"We were like fire and gasoline," Dodi explained. "Having service dogs changed that dynamic. They gave us space to regulate, to breathe, and to meet each other as partners instead of caretakers."
The dogs help interrupt spirals, reduce triggers, and take on some of the support the couple was trying to provide each other without the tools to do so. Service dogs require constant attention and advocacy, especially in public, but the impact has been overwhelmingly positive, allowing Dodi and Ben to connect more deeply with each other.
"We're no longer fire and gasoline," Dodi said. "The dogs didn't fix our relationship, but they gave us the stability and independence we needed to build something healthier."
Today, Diamond provides Dodi with a sense of safety and permission to exist without apologizing. Phoenix continues to help Ben with night terrors, recognizing the signs before he fully wakes and gently intervening.
But the partnership requires effort. "Service dogs are meant to help you in living your life, not to replace the effort it takes to keep moving forward," Dodi explained. "She's a support system, not a stopping point."
For other American Heroes considering a service dog, Dodi and Ben offer this message:
"You don't have to be at your breaking point to deserve support. Struggling doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're human. Seeking support isn't giving up control. It's taking it back. You're not failing because you need help. You're choosing to keep living instead of just surviving, and that choice matters."
Your monthly donation through Operation Never Quit (ONQ) directly impacts Veterans like Dodi and Ben, providing them with the tools to reclaim their lives. Because of your generosity, NWBB can provide professionally trained PTSD service dogs to Veterans at no cost.
There are many other ways to support NWBB's mission. Consider becoming a Pledge-A-Pup partner, fostering a future service dog, or volunteering your time. However you choose to get involved, you're making a difference in the life of an American Hero.