Difference M A K I N G
F O R
W O U N D E D
A
V E T S
by Steve Gamel | photos courtesy of Operation Mutt22
J
ustin Rie was convinced that it would take a lot of hard work and at least a good 10 years before anyone would know what Operation Mutt22 was and how they could help deserving combat veterans.
He was spot-on about the hard work part. The whole “10 years” thing was way off base. In two short years, Operation Mutt22 has become another beacon of light in the nonprofit community. The Lantana-based organization, which is run jointly by Rie and Jacob Robinson and now has a second facility in Tennessee, trains and delivers service dogs to veterans who return home suffering from extreme emotional and physical trauma that is often too difficult to overcome alone.
“Honestly, I’m still in disbelief,” Rie said of the program’s growth. “The amount of growth is unbelievable, and it’s gone beyond helping people in Dallas. We just sent one dog to Tennessee to be trained, and it will eventually move on to help someone in Montana. We are helping people, and that’s a great feeling.”
“THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT WE’VE RECEIVED TO CONTINUE OPERATING HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS.”
They’ve managed to place 44 dogs in that stretch and have gone beyond veterans to also help domestic violence victims, rape victims, sexually-abused children, and families of fallen soldiers.
30 | ARGYLE LIVING | NOVEMBER 2020
hesitation, he accepted his wife’s advice to get a service dog. Seeing the benefits in his own life, he wants to help others benefit. To receive a service dog through Veteran Affairs is roughly a three-year process — an overwhelmingly long wait time for those men and women who have served our country. Operation Mutt22 provides its services at no cost to the person
The idea for the foundation stems from Rie’s personal experiences. After serving in the Marines, Rie experienced life-altering PTSD from his time in the field. His condition was so severe that it took him six years just to feel comfortable going to the movies with his wife. With
www.ArgyleLivingMagazine.com
