A Michigan veteran will be making a new friend this year through a service dog organization, Dogs of Honor, following a donation from the recently-closed Lakeville United Methodist Church.

Former Lakeville UMC member Geno Mallia presented Kim Prud’homme, owner of Dogs of Honor, with a $2,000 check towards the cause at Addison Township Hall last Thursday.

Lakeville UMC closed its doors in November after 180 years of serving the community. Since then, the congregation has been donating the church’s remaining funds towards local and national organizations.

“I certainly hope that other churches realize that we have a (social) responsibility for all of our citizens and our veterans are part of that responsibility too. Our churches have to go beyond the walls (of the church)… and serve (all people),” said former Lakeville UMC Pastor Jacque Hodges.

Dogs of Honor is a Bellaire-based organization which pairs veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with trained service dogs to create a healthy, mutually beneficial, working team.

The service dogs are given basic obedience training first, and are trained to recognize when a veteran becomes agitated and to comfort him. One training move, for example, teaches a dog to pull back from a veteran to distract him if he’s exhibiting signs of having PTSD symptoms.

The dogs also are taught to stand firm in a crowd as a barrier between the vet and people.

Eventually, the dogs will learn to detect signs of agitation in a veteran and pick up scents of stress and to give their handler “hugs” when requested.

The service dog gives a veteran a reason to get up every morning and provides emotional support.

According to Prud’homme, the training process will generally take around a year and can cost up to $1,500 per dog.

Prud’homme, who was diagnosed with PTSD 20 years ago, said she understands the struggles each of her clients go through daily. Her service dog, an English Labrador named Trace, has given her a new handle on life and has allowed her to take back control of her life—and it’s an experience that she says she can’t wait to share with another veteran.

She plans to use the donated money to provide one of her clients on the waitlist, a recently-married veteran from northern Michigan who is diagnosed with PTSD, with a dog of his own.

“I know what the difference is going to be like for him before he does and I know his life is going to change. He’s going to be able to manage the symptoms and it will also take the burden off his wife and the rest of the family,” said Prud’homme.

Donations can be made through Dog’s in Honor website, dogsinhonor.com/donate.