When U.S. Marine and Army veteran Hank Ford first met Tommy, a Labrador retriever from Dogs Inc., he had no idea the pup would one day save his life—twice.
Ford, 54, had been battling post-traumatic stress disorder since retiring from the military in 2009. Although he’d raised hunting dogs for years, he finally reached out to Dogs Inc., a Florida nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans. Program manager Amy Bernard matched him with Tommy in late 2023, and the connection was instant.
“I tell people that Tommy was training me,” Ford said. “He knew what to do.”
Before Tommy, Ford spent much of his time isolated at home, struggling with anxiety and sleeplessness. The Labrador helped him regain confidence—encouraging him to get out of bed, face crowded places, and re-engage with daily life.
“He gets me up in the morning and calms me down,” Ford said. “He definitely pulled me out of a hole.”
But the dog’s heroics went far beyond emotional support. In February 2025, Tommy woke Ford in the middle of the night, barking and pawing at him frantically. Thinking the dog needed to go outside, Ford opened the door—but Tommy wouldn’t leave his side. Instead, he kept nudging Ford’s chest until the veteran realized something was wrong.
“My heart was pounding and fluttering,” Ford recalled. He rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered a severe AFib episode—an irregular heartbeat that could have caused a massive stroke.
Tommy had no medical alert training. He just knew.
“He saved my life again,” Ford told Bernard afterward.
Today, Ford is back to work part-time at a golf course, spending more time with his wife, Mary, and even building Lego projects for fun—all thanks to his four-legged partner.
Bernard hopes Ford’s story encourages other veterans to apply for service dogs. “There are plenty of dogs to go around,” she said. “You’re not taking someone else’s dog—one might be waiting just for you.”
For more information about Dogs Inc. or to volunteer as a puppy raiser, visit the organization’s website.