To whom it may concern. I am a former Special Forces Green Beret that did nine combat tours over 20
years to Iraq and Afghanistan. During this time, I fought against the enemy hundreds of times and
suffered multiple Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), concussions, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
As I began to exit the military, I suffered from alcoholism. I drank to drown out the invisible wounds of
war, my lost brothers, physical injuries, etc. I was attempting to drink until I blacked out, and given the
medications I was on, it was a horrible combination.
One day, a good friend of mine called and told me I needed to meet Sophia. While I’m a dog lover, I
wasn’t actively looking for one. At the property where I met Sophia, she came out of the kennels, only
came up to me and checked me out. She then went off and ran around the property. After several
minutes, Sophia came back and sat down right next to me. Sophia had chosen me.
Sophia is a lover that needs constant attention and interaction. She loves to cuddle and follows me
everywhere; I mean everywhere. Sophia goes around with me, even in public. She has changed my life in
the most positive way possible, given me a new purpose, and increased my life quality to a new high.
Sophia helps me deal with the stresses of life and is always there to pick me up. Because of her, my PTSD
and alcohol consumption is significantly lower.
I could never express to anyone just how much Sophia means to me
Sincerely,
Joe Phanton
