It's graduation season, but the ceremony held at the St. Marys VFW Post #9289 on Wednesday evening was a little bit different.
Ralph Reynolds, a Wapakoneta resident and veteran of the Vietnam War, graduated with his new service dog, Quinn, officially certifying the year old companion as more than just a pet.
The ceremony was the last step in a long and rigorous training process, helped by Post #9289's sponsorship, for both Reynolds and Quinn, who has been equipped with the skills to provide relief for Reynolds' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and anxiety.
"I picked him up when he was four months old," Reynolds said. "Then, six, seven days a week for 7.2 months, I took him through all of the obedience classes, then I contacted Fran (Morford) and Sandra (Bohle)."
Morford, a certified service dog trainer, and Bohle, founder of Angels for Veterans out of Celina, helped Quinn take the final steps toward becoming a fully certified Service Dog.
"I took a trip to Vietnam and when I got back, he was ready to go. I left him with [Morford] for about four or five weeks," Reynolds said. "When I came home, he met me at the airport, and he was ready. I took him home on Friday and then on Monday I met her down at the mall in Huber Heights, we took our test, and we did it. We qualified."
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