A Hero’s Best Friend

Joe Worley recalls a time when running errands wasn’t easy for him. Once, he tripped and fell in the doorway of a store in his hometown near Atlanta, Georgia.

“I was in so much pain,” Worley recalls. “I felt helpless.”

Worley wasn’t able to simply get back on his feet. He had lost part of his left leg while serving with the United States Navy in a war. Worley uses a prosthetic leg, and can lose his balance.

Today, Worley doesn’t worry about feeling helpless. His service dog, Galaxie, helps keep him steady as he walks. If Worley feels like he’s losing his balance, he leans on Galaxie. The Labrador retriever also helps him go up and down stairs and pick up items.

“Galaxie has made my life so much easier,” says Worley. “I am extremely lucky.”

Galaxie is one of thousands of service dogs across the country trained to assist veterans with disabilities.

Joe Worley remembers when running errands wasn’t easy for him. Once, he tripped and fell in the doorway of a store in his hometown near Atlanta, Georgia.

“I was in so much pain,” Worley recalls. “I felt helpless.”

Worley couldn’t just get back on his feet. He had lost part of his left leg while serving with the United States Navy in a war. Worley uses a prosthetic leg. He can lose his balance.

Today, Worley doesn’t worry about feeling helpless. His service dog, Galaxie, helps keep him steady as he walks. If Worley feels like he’s losing his balance, he leans on Galaxie. The Labrador retriever also helps him go up and down stairs and pick up items.

“Galaxie has made my life so much easier,” says Worley. “I am extremely lucky.”

Galaxie is one of thousands of service dogs across the country trained to assist veterans with disabilities.

In the Navy, Worley was a medical specialist. His job was to aid injured troops. On September 17, 2004, doing his job nearly cost him his life. Worley was serving in a war in Iraq, a country in Asia. He was riding in a truck when a bomb exploded under the vehicle in front of his. Worley was running to help the wounded when a second blast knocked him to the ground.

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure I was going to live,” Worley says.

Most of his left leg was gone. His right leg was badly injured. He was airlifted back to the U.S. He spent more than a year in a military hospital. That’s where he was fitted for a prosthetic leg. Worley is one of more than 30,000 soldiers who were hurt in the war in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

After he was released from the hospital, Worley had to adjust to life without his left leg. Walking on the prosthetic was awkward and often painful, so he used a wheelchair most of the time. He hated having to rely on his wife to help him with everyday tasks.

In the Navy, Worley was a medical specialist. His job was to aid injured troops. On September 17, 2004, doing his job nearly cost him his life. Worley was serving in a war
in Iraq. That is a country in Asia. He was riding in a truck when a bomb exploded under the vehicle in front of his. Worley was running to help the wounded. A second blast knocked him to the ground.

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure I was going to live,” Worley says.

Most of his left leg was gone. His right leg was badly injured. He was airlifted back to the U.S. He spent more than a year in a military hospital. That’s where he was fitted for a prosthetic leg. Worley is one of more than 30,000 soldiers who were hurt in the war in Iraq between 2003 and 2011.

Worley was released from the hospital. He had to adjust to life without his left leg. Walking on the prosthetic leg was awkward and often painful. He used a wheelchair most of the time. He hated having to rely on his wife to help him with everyday tasks.