Military vet honored at Arnold Palmer Invitational, shares story of meeting service dog

Ricardo Jimenez suffered PTSD, anxiety, depression after returning home

BAY HILL, Fla. – A local military veteran was honored at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Sunday.

Ricardo Jimenez received several honors during his service, but when he returned home, he suffered from severe symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression.

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With the help of K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit organization that rescues and trains service dogs, Jimenez was introduced to one of the service dogs, Roddy.

Jimenez said Roddy saved his life and continues providing him support through his recovery process.

During Sunday's military appreciation event, Jimenez shared his story of how his service dog helped him to overcome lasting effects of military-related trauma.

Also at the event was Stryker general manager and U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Scaglione, who presented a Stryker vest and $20,000 for the sponsorship of a service dog to Brett Simon, who inspired the idea of K9s for Warriors and now serves as the organization's president.

Stryker, which has sponsored 15 service dogs to date, announced its partnership with K9s for Warriors.


About the Author:

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.