KELLER, Texas — A North Texas veteran is helping other veterans and their service dogs.
Kari Stanley, a U.S. Air Force veteran from Keller, developed severe anxiety and PTSD after she served.
Her four-legged companion, a service dog named Lisa, has been a life-saving support for Stanley.
“I suffer from horrible PTSD and anxiety, and I don’t trust my surroundings, so she looks around for me when I can’t see all around,” Stanley said. “I’m not by myself anymore.”
Several weeks ago, Lisa was hit by a car and her leg was shattered. Stanley rushed to save her, but veterinary expenses quickly added up.
“When she was gone just for the one night in the emergency room, I was lost,” Stanley said.
That’s when another veteran, Cole Lyle, stepped in to help.
Lyle covered all of Lisa’s veterinary expenses and saved her life, Stanley said.
Lyle, who told WFAA that PTSD nearly killed him, had a service dog of his own. His service dog, Kaya, was a purebred German Shepherd.
Together, they moved to Washington, D.C.
Lyle became an advisor to the U.S. Senate on veterans’ policies and lobbied alongside his four-legged companion.
Together, they convinced Republicans and Democrats in Congress to pass the PAWS Act, which allows the VA to provide service dogs to struggling veterans for free.
Kaya, who became a viral internet sensation after being honored on a Southwest flight, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away.
Now, Lyle, is helping other veterans and their service dogs. Stanley was the first veteran to receive help from Lyle.
“It made a huge difference,” Stanley said. "[It saved] both of our lives.”