James Brereton bravely served our Country in both the Army and Marines. His tours included Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bosnia. He says if it weren't for his dog Bernie, he wouldn't be alive.

James told News 12's Marci Rubin that he survived an explosion in 2013. He, like many other veterans, was left with PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A non-profit called K9s For Warriors matched James up with a service dog named Bernie.

At a dark point, this brave Manasquan man was thinking about taking his own life. James told News 12 that Bernie is why he's still alive.

Simply put, he [Bernie] took the gun out of my mouth.

James described his relationship with his service dog. He told Marci Rubin of News 12 that Bernie can anticipate when James is going to "get keyed up." During the interview, the service dog was heard whimpering because James was talking about his traumatic experience.

On average, 22 Veterans commit suicide every day.

K9s For Warriors rescues dogs from shelters and to-date has paired up over 300 dogs with brave men and women.

This is an amazing program that benefits those who put their lives on the line for our safety and freedom. Please consider making a donation to keep these pairings going.

Check out K9s For Warriors website for all of the details.

[source: Marci Rubin-News 12]

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Listen to Matt Ryan weekdays from 3 p.m. - 8 p.m on 94.3 The Point. CLICK HERE to Listen Live anytime from anywhere.
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