Robert Worthington was officially announced as a recipient of a specially trained Canine Assistants service dog at a ceremony April 20 at the Lewis Main Commissary on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Worthington was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome after returning from a tour of duty in Operation Desert Storm. He suffers from memory loss, chronic pain and depression, memory loss, muscular weakness, and reduced stamina.

The new Canine Assistants dog, sponsored by DeCA and Milk-Bone®, will make the every day tasks of life easier for Worthington such as opening a handicapped door for him, searching the house for intruders, or picking up dropped items. Canine Assistants is a national charitable organization that trains dogs to assist people with physical disabilities.

The organization runs on individual and corporate donations. Their wait list for service dogs could take more than five years if it weren't for the help of Milk-Bone's® "I Give" initiative.