Medford, New York
It’s Graduation Day for a service dog changing the life of a Purple Heart recipient.
The veteran says he’s ready to finally regain his independence after being critically injured in combat just a few years ago.
Army Captain Victor Prato says it took a near-death experience to finally accomplish a lifelong dream — owning a dog.
“When I was in Afghanistan and I got wounded, I was kind of laying in the hospital thinking, like, you know, I almost died without having a dog,” he said.
Though he never planned his first pet would be a service dog, Prato says Barbossa is now his rock.
Learn how you can help a team like Captain Prato and Barbosa here.