Jason and Service Dog Yago’s Story

During a 1999 mission in South America, U.S. Airforce Staff Sgt. Jason Morgan and his team faced an ambush that sent their vehicle tumbling down a cliff. Jason was thrown from the vehicle and sustained a crushing blow to his back as it rolled over him. This left him stranded face down in shallow, contaminated water. Thankfully, an American missionary found Jason and managed to get him to a hospital, where he slipped into a coma lasting two-month. Jason awakened paralyzed from the waist down but was lucky to be alive. 

A decade after his injury, Jason was partnered with Napal, his first Canine Companions service dog, who helped enhance his independence. Following Napal, Rue became his second service dog, and now he is aided by his third, Yago. Canine Companions Service Dog Yago helps enhance Jason’s independence by retrieving dropped items, tugging open doors, pulling his wheelchair and much more. Beyond that, Jason says having a service dog made him visible again. People who wanted to learn more about his dog, in turn, learned more about him. 

“When you go through an injury like mine, it completely changes your life in every way,” Jason says. “Napal, Rue and Yago have been the biggest contributors to my wellbeing and my way of life since my injury. I’ll never be without a service dog now.”