Page 855 - Total War on PTSD

veterinarian to make sure she was healthy and to have her scanned for a microchip. No microchip was found. Because we had no way of reuniting her with her owner, we took her to the Humane Society. As the story goes, the owners came and picked her up, but then surrendered her again the next day. When I heard that I rushed over to the Humane Society and rescued her myself.
Bridget is now four years old and has been a wonderful addition to my life. As we’ve gotten to know each other more, we’ve grown closer and have become much more in tune. When I'm sad, she feels it and she lays by my side. When I'm happy she shares in my happiness. She is my ever-adventurous sidekick and my eternal source of joy. She is loved beyond my ability to articulate.
On December 20, 2017, something terrible happened. I returned home from work and noticed my front door and front gate were wide open. I immediately knew something was very wrong and my mind instantly went to Bridget. I entered my house, calling for her, but she did not come. I took a moment to assess the situation. Nothing in my house seemed to be missing, however, the TV had been pulled away from the wall and all of the wires were bundled up as if someone was planning on stealing it, but it appeared as though they had only taken my dog. I noticed Bridget's leash was missing from the hook on the wall. The police were called and took a report, but weren't able to do much more. Even though I had been living as a civilian for 12 years, I immediately went back into military mode. I was Staff Sergeant Hoffman again, and my mission was to find my dog. I bought security cameras that same night and strategically positioned them should the criminals return. I started a social media campaign that grew to reach tens of thousands of people. The media was contacted and three local News stations ran stories on Bridget. I canvased the area putting up strategically placed signs. I made business cards with
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