Dogs are no doubt man’s best friends, but this service dog takes it a
few levels up when he walks as the Best Man at Justin Lanford and Carol
Balmes’ wedding.
Daily Mail reports that what looked like an ordinary union became a very special one with the
dog’s participation. Surely, the furry four-legged companion of Justin
stole the spotlight and the hearts of the guests when he walked down the
aisle.
Maybe a lot of you would be surprised to know that a dog, and not a
human was the Best Man at a very memorable wedding. But once you learn
the story behind it, for sure, you will give Gabe the service dog a
two-thumbs up.
Justin Lanford said in an interview, “I was a paratrooper in the 82nd
Airborne Division and we were in eastern Afghanistan in early 2012. We
struck an IED and it flipped my truck completely. I had bilaterally
severed femurs which resulted in the amputation of my left leg.”abe, the
Best Man at Justin’s wedding, is a service dog who matched with him
years ago through the Warrior Canine Connection.
The whole process aims to help veterans deal with the post-traumatic
stress disorder by connecting them with support animals. In the case of
Justin, Gabe really is a good match.
“The less I use my wheelchair, the more I need his help in smaller tasks
and the more he is there. It has been very comforting to know that. I
have a prosthetic lubricant to slide my leg into place in the morning
and he can retrieve that,” Justin said.
“He helps me with one thing to the next. I can use him as a stable
surface to lean on, as I get to and from the ground. If I fall, he’ll
come up running next to me and I can use him to push off of to get up
off the ground,” Justin said.
No wonder, Gabe was chosen as the Best Man because he truly is the one!
With the help and support, he gave Justin, for sure the newlyweds are in
for more beautiful memories with Gabe. What a very wonderful and
inspiring story! Hats off to Gabe!