Nic + Ernie

The Shelter to Soldier team welcomed Ernie into our program through the generous Red Star Sponsorship of Veterans Audiology and our rescue partners at Labs & More.

Labs & More notified us after rescuing Ernie from the Riverside Shelter, where he had been found wandering. When our training team went to evaluate him, we were immediately captivated by his striking amber eyes and his relentless desire for affection—he just couldn’t resist crawling under your skin for a cuddle.  From that moment, we knew Ernie would one day bring immense joy to a veteran, and we decided to adopt him into our program. After months of dedicated training and off-site socialization, it was finally time for Ernie to meet his veteran.

Nic first learned about our program through our friends at BigFM and knew instantly that this was something he needed to pursue. After returning from deployment in support of OIF, Nic faced significant challenges with PTSD, which had led to isolation. Discovering our program sparked hope, inspiring him to apply. When we learned Nic wanted a dog who was affectionate and always by his side, we knew Ernie was the perfect match. After their second meeting, Nic and Ernie were officially paired on July 22, 2025.

From the start, this team impressed us all, progressing through the program faster than expected. Their dedication paid off as they breezed through the final assessment, the PAT, passing with flying colors.

On the morning of February 28th, 2026, U.S. Army Veteran Nic and service dog Ernie officially graduated from the Shelter to Soldier service dog training program! This special milestone was celebrated alongside Ernie’s Red Star Sponsors, Samantha and Rachel from Veterans Audiology, and Nic’s incredible wife and their three children.

Ernie was named in loving memory of Private Irwin “Ernie” Mintz, the uncle of his sponsors. 

 

“There’s not a lot of information out there in the veteran community on how to get a service dog, and I’ve been wanting one for probably 10-15 years, and just didn’t know how to do it, and every time I ask somebody, I would hear, we don’t know. Somebody told me about this program that they heard on the radio, and I checked it out. I checked another one, and it was a 4-year waiting period. I thought that was crazy, and that was across the country. I never knew there was one in my backyard here, so everyone’s been awesome. This is a huge blessing. I’m interested to see how much it changes my life.”

-USA Nic and Ernie