LILBURN, Ga. — An Army veteran who lost her service dog in a terrible accident got surprised with a new companion Monday.
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“Hayden” is a biological sibling of the dog Army vet Kerrie Porter had before, and that dog did so much for her and her family. Porter and her family told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes they are looking forward to having this one at home after a bit more training.
Porter met Hayden on Monday, not realizing it was her new companion.
She thought the people at Topp Dog K9 Foundation brought her to their headquarters in Lilburn just to discuss getting another service dog in the future.
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Porter was understandably emotional about a month ago, when her beloved service dog Bruno got loose on a walk and was killed by a car.
With the help of Montlick Injury Attorneys and the Topp Dog K9 Foundation, they trained Bruno’s biological brother Hayden to be her new service animal.
She’s looking forward to having Hayden help her manage anxiety and stress, and Hayden will give her confidence again to do more things independently as a wife and mom.
“I felt secure, and I was willing to go places without my mama and without my husband,” she said. “And I felt calm – which is a big thing for me.”
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