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Help is a four-legged word: Academy Band couple adopts service dog

  • Published
  • By A1C Kevin Cerovich
  • USAF Academy Band
USAF Academy Band --  Service dogs change lives, not just for the people they help but for the humans who raise them. One service dog in training, Bambi, has already changed the lives of two Air Force Academy Band Airmen.

Tech. Sgt. Julie Bradley and her husband, Master Sgt. Karl Bradley, welcomed Bambi into their lives in April being approved as volunteer puppy raisers by the Canine Companions
for Independence.

"We wanted to be a part of something bigger than ourselves," said Karl, who plays trombone and euphonium in the marching and concert bands. "Julie had been researching this and applied."

Their 16-year-old lab-chow mix, Dizzy, died after they applied but before they brought Bambi home, Karl said.

The puppy-raising process has meant changes at the band's facility on Peterson Air Force Base. Signs reading "service dog inside" are visible at each entrance. Bambi, a black Labrador retriever, alternately explores the building or curls up beneath Julie's desk. Band Airmen visit her occasionally, taking a knee to pet her or play.

"Every time I pass Julie's desk, I look for Bambi," said Staff Sgt. Nick Daniels, a vocalist with Wild Blue Country. "You can't be in a bad mood around that dog!"

Still, raising Bambi isn't fun all the time, said Julie, Blue Steel's vocalist. "If you think getting up at 5 a.m. every morning is funny, laugh away," she said.

The puppy has also chewed through an unplugged computer wire, and there may be one or two new stains on the carpet that no one can explain - but it's worth it for the chance to bring joy and hope to another person, Julie said.

"It's so fulfilling to volunteer your time to positively affect someone's life, even if you'll never know them, for years into the future," she said. "I'd highly recommend this program to other Airmen looking for a chance to make a difference. It teaches responsibility and empathy."

The Bradleys will return Bambi to the Canine Companions for Independence in November 2014. CCI will assess Bambi's capabilities and determine what type of service she will perform. The company provides service dogs for veterans and civilians serving in a range of purposes.