Helping America's Heroes

Crenshaw joined the United States military in 2000 when he was 17. He spent about 14 months fighting in a war in Iraq, a country in southwestern Asia. (The war took place from 2003 to 2011.) 

The experience in Iraq left him feeling anxious—even years after returning home to New Jersey. He had trouble sleeping and was on edge. 

In 2015, Crenshaw noticed he didn’t feel like himself. He would get really stressed and have nightmares. Doctors told him he had post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. 

People can get PTSD after going through something very scary or dangerous. They may have strong feelings of sadness, anger, or fear. Studies show that as many as 20 out of 100 recent veterans have PTSD.

Crenshaw knew he needed help. He contacted K9s For Warriors. That group connects veterans with service dogs.

In 2019, Crenshaw was paired with Doc. The pup had been taught to calm people with PTSD. He wakes up Crenshaw during bad dreams. And he puts his head on Crenshaw to cheer him up.

Crenshaw joined the United States military in 2000. He was 17 years old. He spent about 14 months fighting in a war in Iraq. That’s a country in southwestern Asia. (The war took place from 2003 to 2011.) 

The experience in Iraq left him feeling anxious. He felt this way even years after returning home to New Jersey. He had trouble sleeping. He was also on edge. 

In 2015, Crenshaw noticed he didn’t feel like himself. He would get really stressed. He also had nightmares. Doctors told him he had post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. 

People can get PTSD after going through something very scary or dangerous. They may have strong feelings of sadness, anger, or fear. Studies show that as many as 20 out of 100 recent veterans have PTSD.

Crenshaw knew he needed help. He contacted K9s For Warriors. That group connects veterans with service dogs.

In 2019, Crenshaw was paired with Doc. The pup had been taught to calm people with PTSD. He wakes up Crenshaw during bad dreams. He also puts his head on Crenshaw to cheer him up.

Today, Crenshaw says Doc gave him a new path in life. The veteran now works with K9s For Warriors. He travels the country and shows others how service dogs can help veterans with PTSD. 

Crenshaw also pushes for more laws like PAWS.

“Doc gives me purpose,” says Crenshaw gratefully. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”

Crenshaw says Doc gave him a new path in life. The veteran now works with K9s For Warriors. He travels the country and shows others how service dogs can help veterans with PTSD. 

Crenshaw also pushes for more laws like the PAWS Act.

“Doc gives me purpose,” says Crenshaw gratefully. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”