Veterans train their own service dogs through Bay Area nonprofit

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Operation Freedom Paws in San Martin is an organization that changes two lives in one team. Veterans get to train their own service dogs.

Ramon Reyes is a lead mentor trainer.

"So the program normally takes one year. But then again, it could take more than that. We work at the speed of the veteran or client," Reyes said.

Reyes is an Army veteran who served for nearly 18 years.

"Before I came to the program, I was in a real dark place. I tried suicide a couple times," Reyes said.

On the brink of divorce, a psychiatrist recommended Reyes get a service dog.

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"I was pushing away my family my communication went to hell- I didn't want to talk to anybody and having a service dog allows me to open up and talk to people," Reyes said.

Through Operation Freedom Paws, Reyes was paired with Huey.

"I always tell everybody milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not your hands- this guy, he melted in my hands. And yeah, after that my life changed," Reyes said.

Reyes has a traumatic brain injury so he suffers from dizzy spells or migraines.

"Every morning he'll get up come next to me on the bed, I'll tell him to check me out and start smelling me and if he starts licking my right ear, later in the day I'm going to start to have a migraine so I'm able to take my medication before it becomes a full blown migraine," Reyes said.

Mary Cortani is the founder.

"Sixty-percent of its brain is dedicated to the sense of smell and your body is made up of a whole lot of chemistry. So when your chemistry changes, the dog is going to know it," Cortani said.

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Cortani is a veteran from the Vietnam era. She learned to train dogs in the military.

"So I was a military k9 police handler as well as instructor. So I've trained all branches of service," Cortani said.

Cortani pulls all these service or therapy dogs out of rescues or shelters.

"Watching them grow together in the sense that they have to learn to trust and that's one of the great gifts," Cortani said.

Jeff Wilson has been in the program since 2011. He has PTSD, chronic pain and mobility issues.

"So he can hold me up and keep me balanced so I don't fall," Wilson said.

Logan is his third service dog.

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"All he wants to do is help and have fun and be in our presence. He's like my little, I would call him shadow but he's white so he's like my ghost," Wilson said.

Wilson said what stands out to him the most about being in the program- building community.

"It becomes a family after a while, because everybody is here who is in the same boat working together," Wilson said.

Each service dog team would cost around $28,000 to train, but Operation Freedom Paws provides the healing journey for free.

"I never knew how deep a bond between a person and a dog could be, and I never knew how empowering and much love that is," Wilson said.

Seventy-percent of dog teams are veterans, the rest are first responder teams or children with disabilities.

For anyone who would like to help or donate, visit their website here.