When it comes to choosing his best man for a wedding, the groom must make a serious decision. Gabe, his therapy dog, was the right choice for this groom. His closest companion.
Carol Balmes, Justin Lansford’s longtime girlfriend, was married in a beautiful ceremony. Gabe sat next to the groom, dressed in a custom-made olive-drab waistcoat embroidered with all of Justin’s decorations from his time in the US Army.
Lansford is a young veteran who served in the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper. He lost his leg on April 23, 2012, after his truck collided with an IED in Afghanistan. “We hit an IED, which completely flipped my truck.”
“I had bilaterally severed femurs, which necessitated the amputation of my left leg,” Lansford explained to ABC News. Lansford was matched with a Golden Retriever named Gabe when he returned.
Balmes had been volunteering for Warrior Canine Connection, an organization that matches therapy dogs with veterans to help them cope with PTSD on a daily basis.
“The first time Gabe met Justin, he was simply squirming and sobbing all over the place, behaving as if he’d known Justin his entire life,” Carol told the Toronto Star.
The happy pair, as well as Gabe, currently reside in Tampa, where Lansford is enrolled in school and Balmes works at a veterinary clinic. The family is overjoyed with Gabe.
“Gabe is always right there for Justin when he feels anxious or uncomfortable,” Balmes added. “It’s difficult to think negatively when you have this big smile staring at you, wanting to kiss you.”
