Talking about Tru love
My husband and I have season tickets to the Halifax Mooseheads and last month we went to our first game together. The seats are in a great section with a perfect view of the game. We had a wonderful time and I cannot wait to go again.
Before the first period started, I jumped up and told my husband I would be right back. As I climbed around him, he said, “Tracy! There aren’t any dogs here! Where are you going?”
Behind my husband’s seat, I had my eye on a man carrying a very large dog bed. He also had a dog wearing a PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) vest. I stood to the side of the concourse to watch him settle himself and his dog into their respective seats. I anxiously waited for him to notice me, as I did not want to disturb him or his service dog. We finally made eye contact and I introduced myself. He was very gracious and kind.
I must admit, when I saw this gentleman at the hockey game, I did not know his name, his past or why he had a service dog. To my delight, we ended up speaking for a few minutes and we decided to meet for coffee the following Saturday.
His name is Sonny Wicks and you may recognize his name from his boxing days in Nova Scotia. His service dog, Tru (short for Trooper), is a four-and-a-halfyear-old purebred female mastiff who was trained in Alberta to become a PTSD service dog. She weighs 140 pounds and she has been Wicks’ service dog for three years.
I could sense the devotion between Wicks and Tru, not only at the Halifax Mooseheads hockey game, but especially during our coffee. Tru kept her eyes on
Wicks and Wicks kept checking in with her. I could sense their bond was extremely deep and I was