By EMS1 Staff
DAYTON, Ohio — While one paramedic and military veteran works to care for others, a canine serves to care for him.
Paramedic and Army veteran Louis Belluomini was diagnosed with PTSD after his first tour. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. His service dog, Star, now accompanies him to work and rides in the ambulance, reported WPXI.
Although Belluomini turned to medicine to treat his PTSD, he said Star has made a greater impact. Star guards Belluomini’s personal perimeter, a protocol he says he learned in the military.
“She’s woken me up from nightmares, sometimes two and three times a night,” Belluomini said. “She senses when something is off, when it’s not right.”
The Labrador and golden retriever mix was paired with Belluomini through the nonprofit K9s for Warriors. Star’s former owner was an active duty military member who donated her after being deployed.
“When I am starting to think about things I don’t want to think about, I find myself more worried about her [more] than anything,” Belluomini said. “Even when she is not doing a job, she really is doing a job because she is a constant distraction for me.”