Friend of Wounded JBLM Soldier Trying to Raise $2,000 to Help Him Get a Service Dog

The friend of a wounded Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier hopes the community will help him get a service dog.

Patch user Jen Smith told Patch that she is helping trying to raise $2,000 to help Jesse Knott, a veteran who has served in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

According to an article written by Patti Mauldin of Valhalla Rescue, Knott "didn't come back the way he left," and now suffers from nerve damage and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Knott, Smith told Patch via our Facebook page, is scheduled to get his service dog later this month. Only problem is he has been told he can't keep a service dog while living on base.

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So, Knott has to now pay rent for an apartment, and he has to cover the cost - about $1,350 - of traveling to California to pick up his service dog April 21.

Mauldin writes that, the "Army is not providing any assistance for this, not a thing, so Jesse must use his own money and personal leave time to get this vital part of his recovery. Between the apartment and everything else it has stretched his small military paycheck until it snapped and he feared his may not get his dog."

Smith has set up a fundraiser on GiveForward.com where users can donate money to help cover his costs. (Click here to be directed to the page)

As of this writing, she has 12 days left to raise the money.

Valhalla Rescue has also set up a fund to accept donations to help Jesse get to California for the two weeks he needs to train with his service dog. Donations can be made through PayPal: donate@valhallarescue.org. http://www.paypal.com/

Good luck and thanks for letting us know about this, Jen. Hopefully this soldier gets the help he needs and deserves.