An injured soldier, a service dog and a cause worth supporting: Why Boehringer Ingelheim helps injured veterans make a fresh start

U.S. Army veteran Sam Smith and his golden retriever, Rachael, have a strong bond, forged in the hospital and deepened in time. The U.S. pets business of Boehringer Ingelheim is proud to support the Warrior Canine Connection® nonprofit, which helps veterans like Sam overcome obstacles with help from service dogs like Rachael.

Middletown, Connecticut -- Rachael is a stunner of a dog, the kind people stop on the street to admire, with her glossy blond coat, expressive eyes, and proud golden retriever stature.

On the streets of her hometown of Middletown, Connecticut, many know Rachael for more than her looks. They know her gentle nature. Her calm, soothing presence. Her devoted attention to a man she helps around the clock.

Sam Smith, a retired U.S. Army chemical specialist, cuts an imposing figure himself. Tall and broad-shouldered, with a clean-shaven head, he looks every bit the former military man. Still active despite spinal surgery and chronic pain, he moves with caution, sometimes relying on a cane for support —and always on his 85-pound service dog Rachael.

The dog wakes him every morning, a panting reminder that it’s time for his pain medicine. She steadies him on a staircase. Rachael turns on the lights and trots by his side as he jogs on a treadmill.

Sam and Rachel were paired by the Warrior Canine Connection nonprofit organization. It helps U.S. military veterans surmount physical and psychological obstacles by enlisting their help in training service dogs – up to 60 veterans may work with any one dog. The organization also places trained dogs with other veterans. It says about 4,000 U.S. veterans have helped train service dogs as part of their healing. It says it has placed service dogs with 62 veterans around the United States as of early 2019.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s support of Warrior Canine Connection trickles down to homes like Smith’s, in Middletown, roughly 20 miles south of Hartford, where the enduring power of the human-animal bond is on full display.

‘We just clicked’

In 2014, while deployed in Kuwait, Sam started to experience searing pain and numbness in his legs. Doctors later determined that two spinal vertebrae had deteriorated, the cumulative effect of physically demanding work.

"I was rushed to the emergency room in Kuwait 13 times," he says.

The military sent him to its hospitals in Germany and northern Virginia. 

Sam's recovery took time. A delayed diagnosis meant months of physical therapy. Two damaged discs required emergency surgery, then months of rehabilitation.

He spent nearly two years off and on at the hospital, hours away from his home, wife, and three children. He endured excruciating pain and had trouble walking and moving.

He found relief through the Warrior Canine Connection organization.

Sam, a lifelong dog-lover, worked with several dogs-in-training that the nonprofit brought through the hospital.

He says he felt an instant connection with Rachael.

"She's stubborn, like me," he says, “but I have a lot of patience for her. We just clicked."

‘I had a good feeling’

They worked together for about nine months, developing Rachael's service-dog skills while Sam healed. Their bond grew so close that they got special permission for Rachael to stay overnight in Sam's hospital room now and again.

It didn't take long for Sam to decide to apply for a service dog.  He requested Rachael even though the organization couldn’t guarantee he would get her.

"I had a good feeling," he says.

Aside from the personal bond between them and Sam's commitment to maintain her training, Rachael had the practical skills he needed: Strong and solid to brace him physically. Dexterous at picking up items of all sizes. Relaxed enough to accompany him almost anywhere.

The group made it official, and Rachael came home with Smith’s family late in 2015.

A cold beer from the fridge – and a reserved seat at O’Rourke’s Diner

"Rachael wakes me at 7 a.m. every day, almost on the dot," Sam says.

She’s asking for breakfast, he admits, but her presence also keeps him on his morning medication schedule. Medication controls his pain fairly well as long as he's careful about his movements—something Rachael helps ensure.

She steadies him on stairs, picks up things he drops and even turns on light switches. She also fetches a bottle of water or beer (she knows the difference) from the refrigerator. Her calm, deliberate movements seem to remind him there's no need to rush.

"Every time I walk out that door, she's always with me," Sam says.

Rachael even has her own Facebook page.

She lies at his feet during classes at Middlesex Community College, where he studies history and art. She waits by his treadmill at the gym.

Together they visit local shops and businesses, where Rachael is often greeted by name—she's even got a reserved spot at O'Rourke's Diner downtown.

Wherever they go, Rachael wears one of the leather service-dog harnesses Sam makes in his basement workshop, handiwork he's donated to several other veterans and their dogs.

‘When I get stressed out, I just start petting her’

Rachael works hard, but she's also a regular dog. She loves to fetch a ball, chew on a toy and cuddle with the family.

"She’s the glue that keeps everybody sane around here,” Sam says.

She's a calming presence in a bustling household, with children aged 10, 13, and 17, plus two additional dogs: Feisty, vocal Max, a 10-pound, 3-year-old dog that the family got around the same time as Rachael, and Dexter, a 5-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel pup the children wanted.

"They took advantage of my medicated state," he jokes.

Using skills learned at the nonprofit, Sam has become the family's primary dog trainer. He's a natural. He steps in with "Good boy!" as Dexter reaches a house-training milestone. He quiets Max's barking with the promise of a treat or game of "knuckle tug-of-war."

Despite the size disparities, the three dogs play well together, Rachael's gentle patience a counterpoint to the friskier other dogs. Sam lights up watching them.

"They bring me so much joy," he says.

Living with chronic pain can sap a lot of joy. And Sam sees more surgery in his future. It doesn't stop him from living an active life, but he knows that one wrong move could set him back. Relying on Rachael—both physically and emotionally—has been as healing as any medical intervention.

"If I start getting mad or angry, Rachael will jump up and push me to try and calm me down. It doesn't happen as much as it used to,” he says. “I used to get angry at everything, but I've learned to sit back and let it dissipate.

“When I get stressed out, I just start petting her. It lowers your blood pressure,” he says. “She gets me to focus on the good stuff."

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. is the maker of the HEARTGARD^® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel) heartworm preventive, which also treats and controls preexisting hookworm and roundworm infections, and the NexGard^® (afoxolaner) chew for flea-and-tick control. The company provides financial support to Warrior Canine Connection.

HEARTGARD Plus and NexGard are available by prescription only. Caution: Federal law restricts these drugs to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

NexGard^® is a registered trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. HEARTGARD® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All Rights Reserved. PET-1424-GEN0319