VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Doug Monda’s hands trembled as he helped place a red, white and blue service dog vest on Ash, a yellow Labrador retriever. When Monda was done, Ash attentively sat at his feet, leaning slightly against his knees.
“When I first saw Ash with him, I just knew — Ash was never meant to be mine. She was destined to be his,” said Donna Kust, a Mutts with a Mission volunteer, as she clenched a tissue. Tears formed as Kust prepared to say goodbye to the dog she spent the past two years raising.
Mutts with a Mission, Hampton Roads’ only accredited service dog provider, celebrated the certification of five new canines Friday at VFW Post 392 in Virginia Beach, ending with each going home with the veteran, first responder or agency with whom the dog was matched.
