Back in May, 34-year-old Rob Tackett was posing for the 2017 Charleston Animal Society’s firefighter calendar with Kimber, the rescue puppy – but little did he know he would end up adopting the dog. “Her owner and his wife told me she wouldn’t go around any guys,” Army veteran and firefighter Tackett said. “When I first met her she curled up in my arms, it was an instant connection. She felt safe with me.”

Kimber’s owner Steve Hall was an elite Marine sniper who served three tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon returning from duty, he started suffering from PTSD and Kimber the doggie helped him relieve anxiety. Unfortunately, Hall fell ill in the summer, requiring neck and back surgeries. As his health didn’t recover, he knew he couldn’t keep Kimber anymore, and, as he and Tackett were friends, he knew whom to turn to.

“He was heartbroken,” Tackett recalls. “He said, ‘My health is not where I want it to be. We can’t take care of Kimber. I don’t want her going anywhere else.’ ” Tackett ended up adopting the pooch, and it changed his life for the better. He hopes that Kimber can help other veterans the way she helped him and his friend Hall.

More info: Facebook (h/t: people)

Back in May, 34-year-old Rob Tackett was posing for the calendar with Kimber, the rescue puppy

“Her owner and his wife told me she wouldn’t go around any guys”

“When I first met her she curled up in my arms, it was an instant connection. She felt safe with me”

A few months later, Kimber’s owner who happened to be Tackett’s friend and fellow Army veteran, fell ill

Due to his health problems, he couldn’t take care of the doggie anymore, so Tackett was asked to adopt Kimber

“I love that dog. Just being around her makes everything easier… She keeps me happy”

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