Daniel O’Dell says the most important part of documenting the journey of he and his service dog The Fluffy Poodle has been the ability to reach out to the community.
“We’ve been lucky enough to share our story for five-plus years to the military and disability community and everybody all around the world, to give them hope and let them know no matter what you’ve been through in the past, you can still follow your dreams,” O’Dell said.
O’Dell and The Fluffy Poodle’s work is receiving some special recognition, as the two are featured in the spring issue of U.S. Veterans MagazineM honoring the Service Dogs of the Year.
“When we got that announcement, I definitely shed a tear, because it’s an overwhelming feeling,” O’Dell. “We got that thank you that we really deserve, and just being a guiding light for the military community is ultimately what it’s all about.”
O’Dell says the recognition is motivation to continue spreading the message.
“I tell everybody, no matter what you’re going through in the past, or no matter what you’re going through now or in the past, you can still follow your dreams, because if I can get through my challenges and disability with my service dog, The Fluffy Poodle, I know you can too, so ultimately we just give a little bit of hope and tell our story to inspire everybody all around the world,” O’Dell said.
If you get a copy of U.S. Veterans Magazine’s spring issue, turn to page 46. You can follow O’Dell and The Fluffy Poodle by searching for The Fluffy Poodle on social media.
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