‘She’s not doing well’: Ga. veteran mourns service dog found dead
ATLANTA, Ga. - An Army veteran had been searching for her missing service dog before sharing a heartbreaking update that it had been hit and killed on an interstate.
“Bruno was a dedicated and loving companion, and an invaluable to his Army veteran handler,” said Tracey Rogers, a spokesperson for the Top Dogg K9 Foundation. “His loss has left a deep void in the veteran’s life and in our organization.”
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Bruno was paired with veteran Kerrie Porter two weeks ago. Porter and her husband were walking Bruno on Sunday before a pack of dogs approached and scared Bruno, prompting the service dog to run away.
In the two weeks the two were paired together, Bruno “provided crucial assistance, significantly improving the veteran’s quality of life, even waking her in her sleep when her blood pressure went too high.” Porter is a 100% disabled veteran who is legally blind and suffers from PTSD.
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“She’s not doing well. I’m worried about her,” said foundation president Blake “Top Dogg” Rashad.
In a heartbreaking video, Rashad can be seen returning Bruno’s service dog vest to Porter, who continuously apologizes between bouts of tears.
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“We are already working diligently to identify and train a suitable replacement service dog for this deserving veteran,” Rogers said. “We understand the urgency of this need and are dedicated to expediting the process and working to raise the necessary funds to ensure this veteran receives the she requires as quickly as possible.”
Porter is part of the 2025 class of 27 military veterans who’ve been paired with service dogs at no charge. The dogs cost anywhere between $12,000 and $20,000 to train for various tasks. Bruno was trained to help Porter with night terrors.
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“Our service dogs go through a minimum of 400 hours of training,” Rashad said.
Rashad is determined to find Porter another service dog and won’t let the loss derail his mission: to help improve lives.
“I get to save a fellow vet,” Rashad said. “By doing so, I get to save myself.”
To learn more about the organization, click here.
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