Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
LOGAN — Michael Fink served with the Army 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq 11 years ago, and some of what he experienced changed him.
"Yeah. I never left the house without somebody," Fink said.
But he said he started to turn around inside a coffee shop, where he was introduced to The Rocky Mountain Service Dog Project.
"And that was when I started getting my life back," he said.
Tilly Thain helped train Ariel, a 130-pound Leonberger, to pick up on situations that may trigger Fink's post-traumatic stress disorder. Ariel can even catch him when he falls.
"I am so proud of them because they've come a very, very long, long path," Thain said.
"I was kind of iffy on it at first, but I was willing to try it because it's better than quitting," Fink said.
And with some time, Ariel and Fink's partnership blossomed.
"(Ariel will) put her head in my lap and just give me pressure and push on this, push on my stomach, which then just kind of helps me ground and focus," Fink said.
The Rocky Mountain Service Dog Project helps train owners like Fink to work with their new companions and help train their replacements later on.
Fink was finally able to handle classes at Utah State University, graduating earlier in May with an associate's degree in architectural drafting. He has accepted a job in Boise and is preparing to move his family in a couple of weeks.
"Still have a little bit of disbelief that I actually did it," he said.
Thain said results like Fink's are why she works with veterans to get them the needed help. The project also helps veterans like Fink obtain grants and fundraise to reduce costs greatly.
"Just because I didn't get to serve in the military, doesn't mean I don't get to give forth to the people that more or less kept my freedom the same," Thain said.
Fink is urging others in his shoes to get help. If not here, then somewhere.
"Don't just sit in your own pile of misery," Fink said. "I was close to calling it quits. And now I'm looking forward to the future."
