The Shelter to Soldier team adopted Bandit from Labs & More under the generous Red Star Sponsorship of an anonymous donor!
Edgar is a proud U.S. Army veteran who served from 1995 to 1998. Although he intended to serve longer, extended time away from his family led to periods of depression, ultimately resulting in an early discharge. After the loss of his father, Edgar struggled with feelings of isolation. Thankfully, his daughter Carissa—our lead Animal Care Attendant—recognized his need for support and recommended him for our Emotional Support Animal (ESA) program.
Since completing the program, Edgar has rediscovered a sense of purpose, and his family has noticed a remarkable improvement in his mood. Edgar and his ESA, Bandit, officially graduated on March 29, 2025, during a heartfelt ceremony at our facility, where his daughter proudly presented him with his graduation certificate. Today, Bandit lives at home with Edgar and enjoys daily jogs with the family, bringing companionship, joy, and a renewed spirit into Edgar’s life.
Other Success Stories
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Ben + Tank
San Diego, CA
Tank came into our program in June 2014 through the sponsorship of The Wintercreek Foundation. Ben applied to our program in the Spring of 2015, and was perhaps one of our most driven applicants.
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James + Calver
San Diego, CA
Calver is a 3 year-old, male standard schnauzer. His dad, James, applied to Shelter to Soldier™ and was approved to be a recipient due to his diagnosis of TBI (traumatic brain injury) and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder)
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Vic + Kira
San Diego, CA
Kira is a loving 4 year old female labrador/pit mix. She was rescued just in time to allow her the opportunity to live a happy, loving and purposeful life.