U.S. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, second from left, meets with Charlotte Troddyn, executive director of Operation Delta Dog on July 11 in Hollis. They are joined by U.S. Army veteran Gary and his dog Huey, far left, as well as U.S. Navy veteran William and his dog Daisey. Cabinet photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

HOLLIS – Having cared for Granite State veterans for the past 12 years, Operation Delta Dog is in dire need of funding.

“We are always one donation away from closing our doors,” said Executive Director Charlotte Troddyn during the July 11 meeting with U.S. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander.

Troddyn said there are currently 30 veterans on the organization’s waiting list. Because of the demand, they must wait at least one year to be paired with a service dog.

“That could be the difference between life and death,” said Troddyn. “We have many veterans on suicide watch while they’re waiting.”

To make matters worse, expenses for service dogs are not covered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We don’t know what to do anymore,” said Troddyn. “We need a point person to the VA.”

Gary, a U.S. Army veteran, said he came home injured and was unable to walk for two years.

He also used to enjoy running marathons, an activity that was now out of the question.

“That was my outlet,” said Gary.

In 2021, he reached out to Operation Delta Dog and was matched with Huey, which is also the nickname for the Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter.

“I’ve never had a dog in my life,” said Gary.

However, he said meeting Huey was just as memorable as watching the birth of his children.

Gary also said medical bills for service dogs might total $15,000 throughout the dog’s life and would not be a major expense for the VA.

Curtis, a veteran of the U.S. Marines, retired in 2021 after 10 years of service.

Coming home was anything but easy. In the Marines, he was an officer respected by the men and women under his command. At home, he was reduced to being a number and described his experience with the VA as “humiliating.”

“It was very hard to function, rage was a really common emotion,” said Curtis, adding that he even attempted suicide at one point.

Although service dog companies were charging up to $20,000, he was able to be paired with Remy, a Dutch Shepherd, prior to joining Operation Delta Dog.

Curtis said he suffered a panic attack one day at the Portsmouth Market Basket. However, Remy knew exactly what to do and safely guided him out of the store.

A time later, Curtis’ life changed forever when he found Operation Delta Dog and was matched up with Colby.

“It was like being on fire and running into a lake,” he said.

William, a U.S. Navy veteran, said he and his comrades were despised when they returned from the Vietnam War.

“I came back to a world that didn’t understand what our warriors do,” he said, adding that he later contracted cancer from being exposed to Agent Orange.

Although he was unaware at the time, William was also suffering from anger problems and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I was really a basket case,” he said.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic only made things worse.

“When COVID hit, I felt like a caged animal,” said William.

He later took a trip to Camp Resilience in Goffstown for horse therapy. It was there that he learned about Operation Delta Dog and was matched with Daisey.

“This is a place of hope,” he said.

In response, Goodlander, who is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy, said she is co-sponsoring the SAVES Act, which includes $10 million for service dogs.

“Your words are pure gold to me,” she said, adding that she would take aggressive measures to pass this legislation. “I’m going to be like a hound dog.”