Army Veteran Chooses His Service Dog To Stand As His Best Man At His Wedding

Nov 12, 2019 by apost team

US Army veteran Justin Lansford knows what it means to have a dog as his best friend – so much so that he even invited the dog to be his best man at his wedding! Before you raise your eyebrows at what sounds like a ridiculous story, you have to hear it from the very start.

Justin was serving as a paratrooper in Afghanistan in 2012 when he was injured in a serious accident. Justin had his truck flip and it resulted in the complete amputation of his left leg.

Understandably, Justin was not in the best of spirits as he tried to recover in the hospital. But that was before Gabe walked into his life. Gabe is a golden retriever that has been specially trained to be a support dog through a group called Warrior Canine Connections.

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Gabe was much more than just an emotion support dog for Justin, Gabe helped him physically. As Justin was learning to adjust to life without his leg, Gabe helped him transition away from the wheelchair and was there to assist when Justin fell down. When Justin would fall, Gabe would hurry to his side and allow Justin to use the animal’s body to pull himself back into a standing position.

The two quickly became inseparable and spent all their time side-by-side.

Justin’s girlfriend, Carol, who also worked for Warrior Canine Connections, was amazed at the bond that Justin shared with his support dog. When the veteran and Gabe first met, the dog was ecstatic to meet Justin – a certain guarantee that the pair would be connected for life.

When it became time for Justin and Carol to move forward with their relationship and tie the knot, they both knew that Gabe deserved a special spot of honor. Justin chose to let Gabe stand as his best man since the faithful dog stands beside him through every other walk in life.

Carol was thrilled with Justin’s decision because Gabe deserved an important spot on their special day together – There were no dry eyes at the ceremony when Gabe walked down the aisle at Justin’s side, and they were happy to get their furry support friend in many of their wedding photos. 

While we don’t know what the future holds for this special couple, we are certain that Gabe will be there every step of the way, doing his part to support them and help them achieve the happiest life possible.

What do you think about this story? Who would you choose to be your best man or your maid of honor? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this story along to your friends and family.