New Jersey Army Vet Finds New Friend Thanks To K9s For Warriors

BARNEGAT, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Many of our wounded warriors come home from deployment and feel out of place.

One Ocean County veteran was suffering from panic attacks and drinking alcohol to cope, and then he found a friend.

For Army veteran Josh Shelton, life is about two things: serving his family and his country. But when he got home to Barnegat, New Jersey from Iraq he says he felt lost.

"When you are with your brothers in the military, especially in the infantry, we stand together. It's a bond that can never be broken and it's hard when you leave and you don't have that brotherhood," Shelton told CBS2's Meg Baker.

Until he met Duke.

"A lot of lows in my life, I know that I'll never see again because of Duke," Shelton said.

He was paired with the black lab through K9s for Warriors, an organization to help veterans with PTSD.

"I tell you what they got it spot on," Shelton said. "We both snore like chimneys and that's what we do!"

Shelton joined the Army in 2006 and was deployed to Iraq. During his first tour, his vehicle was blown up by an IED.

"We see some stuff that if we tried to explain to you, you would probably cry. That's something we live with on a daily basis, and we do turn to alcohol," Shelton said.

During his second tour as a team leader, his group was involved in a vehicle rollover. He received the Purple Heart but still the impact of the war events carried over into his life back home.

"Back surgery, so I was hooked on pain medication," Shelton said.

Now he is medication and alcohol free.

The duo likes to go on three-mile walks each day and Shelton says it helps take his mind off things. His 2-year-old daughter, Ella, got a new buddy, too.

Shelton said Duke is the best thing that has ever happened to him, besides his babies.

The dogs in the program come from rescue shelters or are given up by their owners.