Navy veteran finds fulfillment linking other vets with pets
COLUMBUS, OHIO >> Eddie Broom got a new dog and plenty of advice recently.
The Blacklick, Ohio, resident and Army veteran welcomed a new family member, a female bulldog mix named Marley.
It was the 14th pairing of rescue dogs with veterans by the Delaware-based nonprofit organization Veteran Companion Animal Services.
Broom, 36, held Marley’s leash in the parking lot of his condominium — and later inside — as he absorbed tips and observations from Marley’s foster family, VCAS staffers and a veterinarian.
She’s very nosy, he was told. Watch out; she’s a “ninja.” Give her this food; give her this medicine.
The soft-spoken Broom mostly just nodded and smiled as Marley sniffed her new surroundings.
“It might not seem like it, but I’m very excited,” he said.
Watching it all, Tom Lennon stood back and reflected on why, for the past two years, he has volunteered with VCAS.
Dogs help veterans with PTSD and depression
Lennon, 72, is in the middle of three generations of veterans totaling 84 years of service. His father was a Navy aviator for 27 years, Lennon spent 30 years on
active duty in the Navy as a pilot and ship’s officer, and one of his sons has been in the Army for 27 years .
“Service runs in my veins,” he said simply.
And that’s why the Worthington, Ohio, resident is enthusiastic about VCAS. As the group’s patriot affairs lead, Lennon is a key point person between the group and the veteran who has applied for a companion dog.
Although it’s not a requirement to get a dog, VCAS founder Heather Lane said most veterans who apply for one have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.
Lennon helps throughout the whole process, including being there on the “adoption day” as he was with Broom, clearly excited to see what can be a monthslong process
come to fruition.
“They (the veterans) all have stories, dealing with PTSD and things and I’ve seen these dogs bring them out of depression,” he said. “I’ve seen the dogs help calm them. So I see that and it just gives me a sense of fulfillment.”
In Broom’s case, he said he “needed something to provide proper companionship for me.” He is going through a divorce, he said.
“I hope the dog brings me a sort of a permanent family.”
Lennon was born in Columbus but grew up a “military brat” attending 11 schools across the country. He then attended Ohio State University and was a member of the school’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program.