For the team at Top Dogg K9 Foundation, the greatest reward is witnessing the profound impact a service dog can have on a veteran’s life. Donald’s story is a testament to that transformative power. A 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Donald candidly admits he struggled with uncontrollable triggers, leading his wife to describe him as having a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” personality.
“It’s like having glass gloves on and you’re touching people and then asking them, ‘Why are you bleeding?’ I was cutting people with my words, my actions, and my behavior,” he said. “I look back now, and it hurts that I messed up so many relationships.”
Donald’s military career began at age 19, encompassing numerous deployments, from Operation Just Cause in Panama to the Gulf War in Iraq. Spending the majority of his service as a military police officer, he eventually joined the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). When he retired in 2004 as a 100% disabled First Sergeant, Donald, grappling with the trauma of his experiences, started to isolate himself.
“I’d come home and not say anything. I’d go into the basement to decompress,” he recounted. “I heard of PTSD. I heard of all of these things, and looking back on some of the challenges that I had, I didn’t know I was broke.”
His search for help led him to various service dog organizations, but the $15,000 training fees were prohibitive. Then, his wife discovered Top Dogg K9 Foundation. Not only did we accept Donald, but we also welcomed his rescued puppy, Diamond, into our program. “That’s when my healing truly began,” he says.
The connection with Top Dogg co-founder Blake Rashad, a fellow military law enforcement veteran, was immediate. “He opened his door to me, helped me connect, and was straightforward,” Donald explains. “He educated us. He taught me to recognize my triggers and that I didn’t have to react to everything.”
Blake told Donald that he needed to educate himself to protect both himself and Diamond. “If Diamond took care of me, I had to take care of her. I had to familiarize myself with the American Disabilities Act too, to advocate for her, since she couldn’t speak for herself.”
Top Dogg required Donald to continue therapy, with Diamond providing crucial support. Our organization became his “safe haven.”
“I have to be my biggest advocate. It’s my responsibility to take care of my mental health,” Donald asserted. “It’s like you have a flat tire and you just say, ‘Hey, my car’s supposed to be like this.’” And then to be told, “’Didn’t you know you have a spare tire in your trunk? Didn’t you know you could change your own tire?’”
Donald and Revi Say Good-Bye to Diamond
Years into Diamond’s training, Blake noticed changes in her behavior Donald hadn’t. Concerned, he paired Donald with a golden retriever named Revi. While Donald continued to take both dogs everywhere, Revi eventually took over service dog duties, while also watching over Diamond. In May 2024, Diamond was diagnosed with bone cancer. She passed away in February 2025. Thanks to Blake’s foresight, Donald wasn’t left without a service dog.
“I told him that God put you there to share that with me. He has that leadership and that love and passion, he saw something that I did not see,” Donald said. When asked what his life would be like if he had not found Top Dogg, Donald replied, “I’d be lost. I’d still be that missing part of me trying to go through life not making heads or tails. God had orchestrated this and that was in His divine plan.”