Rescued Wolf And Veteran Form Lifelong Bond No One Else Can Touch
Sometimes the best person to comfort us when we carry a lot of pain is someone else who has the same burden - for instance, a rescue animal.
The Warriors and Wolves program was started at the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center in California based on that concept. Veterans dealing with the effects of war can come into the program and interact and help care for incredible animals who have also been through unimaginable tragedy.
"There's something about being around these animals that to even the most wounded veteran they feel different," Matthew Simmons, co-founder of the center, said in a video about the program.
There are 40 animals who live at the center, made up of wolves rescued from roadside attractions, breeders and other exploitative situations. Many of the wolves are "wolfdogs," a mix of a dog and a wolf, and are trying to figure out where they fit into the world - just like the veterans who come to them for solace.
"The wolves know if you're injured or if something's wrong with you, and they have the trauma, and we had some type of trauma in life so we can get that connection," Jesse Martinez, a veteran and volunteer at the center, said in the video.
Of course, the veterans are not the only ones who benefit from this unique program. Once a wolf picks a veteran to be their companion, they never form a relationship that strong with any other human ever again, the video says - giving both that wolf and that veteran something to finally believe in again.
Check out the full video on this amazing program below:
