Veteran Helps Others Heal With Service Dogs

Getting a service dog helped change Frank DeLorenzo’s life.

He created Wags 4 Warriors to help others do the same.

“This is the purest therapy out there,” said DeLorenzo.

DeLorenzo, a Brecksville resident, is a veteran of the recent conflict in Iraq. He deals with veterans often in his day job as an Army Wounded Warrior Advocate for the Cleveland VA Medical Center. He also suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and a traumatic brain injury. His service dog, a not-quite-2-year-old Labrador/Australian Shepherd mix named Nina, helps keep him present. She pulls him out of flashbacks and nightmares. In public, she faces behind him, watching his back.

DeLorenzo’s wife, Jen, said service dogs are a way to help veterans cope without medicine, giving them something to rely on if they feel overwhelmed. The idea for Wags 4 Warriors, which she helps run, came about when DeLorenzo was looking for his service dog. All of the programs that they looked into offered pre-trained dogs, but there was a one- to two-year waiting period.

“The veterans that need this, they need it now,” his wife said. “They can’t wait one to two years.”

The nonprofit started about a year ago with one-on-one training sessions for veterans and their service dogs, but the need for a space for group sessions came up quickly. Wags 4 Warriors moved into the lower half of Brecksville’s building in mid-April and began holding classes almost immediately after the lease was signed.

Wags 4 Warriors helps veterans find a service dog that fits into their lives—in a short amount of time. DeLorenzo said the group’s goal is to help veterans find an appropriate service dog within a month of their request. If a veteran already has a dog, the group will see if their pet can be trained to become a service dog. Many organizations offer pre-trained service dogs, but Wags 4 Warriors has the veterans and the dogs train together. That helps build their bond, his wife said.

And the organization makes this all happen at no cost to veterans, save for food and toys. (Yes, toys. The service dogs do get time off when their vests are off at home!) Wags 4 Warriors pays for the dogs, the training, the veterinarian bills and other necessary equipment.

Jen DeLorenzo said they haven’t had to seek out help for their nonprofit—people have reached out to them, donating money, holding fundraisers and asking them to speak.

“They like to see that a vet and their family are stepping up to take care of their own,” DeLorenzo said.

The program isn’t open to the public. To learn more about how to get involved, check Wags 4 Warriors’ website. The group is planning to host an open house for the community later this spring or summer.