Service dogs help veterans

HUBBARD — When Rich Curtician left his Greenville, Pa., house, he was frequently fearful something would trigger a memory from his days as an Army ranger in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Annette Williams of Youngstown wondered every time she went out if she’d have a seizure.

Their new four-legged companions Mitch and Tony changed their lives.

Curtician along with Mitch, a black Labrador retriever, and Williams along with Tony, a goldendoodle, are the first graduates of The Together Journey, a nonprofit group founded by Katie Costello and Lorri Matey.

“We’re so happy for them,” said Costello, who also is co-owner of The Learning Dog Training and Enrichment Center.

The organization trains service dogs for military veterans. Both dogs alert their respective owners when they sense a problem.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com