US Army veteran finds independence, hope through her service dogs

(NewsNation) — It’s not the doorbell that tells U.S. Army veteran Gretchen Evans that company has arrived, but a gentle nudge from her Labrador retriever Rusty, who guides Evans in every sense of the word through civilian life.

After 27 years in the military, a rocket blast in Afghanistan launched Evans headfirst into a concrete bunker, causing a traumatic brain injury and hearing loss.

Finding her footing in civilian life wasn’t easy with physical injuries, mental health concerns and the added stress of a hearing impairment.

Evans was beginning to lose hope, struggling to carry a “heaviness” until she met a black Labrador retriever named Aura.

“When I got (Aura), it was almost like magic,” said the retired U.S. Army command sergeant major. “It was like the love from that dog came up through her leash right into my heart. And then she started hearing from me, and all of a sudden, for the first time since I had been injured, I didn’t feel like a deaf person anymore. She helped me navigate life and gave me back my independence.”

Years later, Evans has found independence, companionship and “enough hope to hang on,” with her service dog Rusty and the technically retired Aura.

For Evans, the two dogs act as extensions of herself. They’re trained to alert her to sounds, nudging her with the noses when they hear the dryer beep, sirens on the highway, or her husband’s call from the other room.

“If I had lost my legs, I would have prosthetics, or a wheelchair or whatever I needed to walk,” Evans said. “But I lost my hearing — my ears, if you will — and Aura became my ears. She and Rusty are as much a part of me as anything.”

The dogs have helped her emotionally, as well. Rejoining civilian life was a challenge for Evans, as it is for many veterans. With no Plan B or an idea of how to navigate life with her injuries, Evans found herself, at 46, in a world starkly different than the military lifestyle she’d known since she was 19.

The rules, she said, were different in civilian life. And so was she.

“When I came back from combat, my friends said to me, ‘You’ve changed’ and what I said was, ‘Things changed me,’” Evans said.

Evans now dedicates her time to speaking and fundraising on behalf of The Dogtopia Foundation, which provides service dogs for veterans, therapy dogs for students, and employment initiatives for adults with autism.

She wants veterans to know further change — the kind she couldn’t have imagined when she was at her lowest — is possible.

“A lot of people don’t know that they have access to receive a service dog trained specifically for them free of cost,” she said.

Interested veterans can start by reaching out to an accredited organization. There are several, including The Dogtopia Foundation and K9s For Warriors, that specifically pair veterans with service animals.

The process can feel long, but is ultimately worth the wait, she said.

“If this is the thing that’s you know, going to help put your pieces back together and to help you live your best life,” Evans said. “I would tell everybody, if you’re struggling out there, just give it a shot.”

Dogs aren’t for everyone, she noted. Even those who would benefit from a service animal should remember that solutions aren’t silver bullets, and it sometimes takes a network of services and professionals to help veterans settle back into civilian life.

The benefits of that care aren’t singular, either.

“When you help a veteran, it’s a ripple effect,” Evans said. “You’re not just helping the veteran, you’re helping their family and your community. It’s far-reaching.”