Marine Gets Service Dog Back After Training to Help With Daily Tasks

James Poggi spent his Marine Corps career in aviation, a job that left him with a below-the-knee amputation, five back surgeries, and a string of injuries including hard landings, physical training accidents, a car crash, and spinal meningitis. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound former service member now relies on wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility devices. "You become a vulnerable person that you never thought you'd be," Poggi said.

His wife, who is also his caregiver, suggested he get a service dog. Poggi began working with Teddy, a Goldendoodle, who retrieves keys, cell phones, and other dropped items. "His favorite thing is to retrieve, to help me carry things," Poggi said. "If I drop my keys or anything like that, I'll pick them up for me."

Poggi compares the dog to a military partner. "You never went anywhere without your battle buddy. And he always, always better have your back. And that's how it is. He's always got my back," he said. He said Teddy's presence brings him joy, placing the dog alongside his children in importance. "I love my children very, very much, but it is right up there with another child," he said.

Poggi and Teddy trained at Dog Training Elite St. Louis, a facility that prepares dogs for obedience, therapy, protection, and service work. The training uses setups meant to resemble situations handlers meet outside the classroom. "They prepare you and your service animal for real world experiences that you just you're not going to get out of that book," Poggi said.

Matt Willis, who owns Dog Training Elite St. Louis, said dogs can ease physical limitations and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. "Dogs just-they change your feeling, the chemical changes in your body with that interaction. And that's exactly the uplift that these guys and ladies need," Willis said. He noted gaps in the support system for veterans. "While you know our government and the system tries to do what they can, there's obviously some gaps in that care for our veterans," Willis said.

A private donor grant will cover 30 percent of service dog training costs for 10 veterans or active duty members. Willis said the money was split to reach that number of recipients. "And that's the kind of people that are out there that see the benefit of what these dogs can do," Willis said.

Research supports the use of these animals. A 2024 study found service dogs are associated with lower rates of anxiety and depression among veterans with PTSD. A separate 2024 survey of roughly 600 veterans found that about four in 10 had never had a PTSD service dog but wanted one. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not supply service dogs for mental health conditions and continues to study their effects.

Poggi plans to return to his job as a school crossing guard in Mascoutah. "Next school year, I'll be back full-time out on the corner every day, rain or shine. He's out there with me. He's got the got a little crossing guard hut and everything," Poggi said.