Veteran’s Service Dog Got Stolen By Burglars – Now He's Asking The Public For Help To Find Her

Nov 11, 2019 by apost team

Please help! Emmanuel Bernadin is a military veteran who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) so severe that the Navy medically retired him after his second tour of duty overseas.

He joined the Navy in 2007. On October 19, 2019, his second service dog, Rosalyn (AKA "Roz") was stolen from his apartment. His neighbor called him to let him know the sliding glass door was ajar and things just didn't look right. He returned home to find his apartment ransacked and his beloved Roz missing!

For Emmanuel Bernadin, Roz is not just an adored pet. His dog serves as an important aide, helping him cope with a life impaired by PTSD, a severe and incurable mental health issue caused by extreme emotional and psychological duress, such as that experienced during live combat

apost.com

Just like prisoners can have significant trouble adjusting to "life on the outside" when a long-term prison sentence ends, veterans endure similar problems adjusting to normal life after combat. They often can't manage to turn their fear down enough to stop reacting to every slammed door as if a bomb has just gone off.

The nightmares and night terrors Emmanuel suffers from having experienced war in both Iraq and Afghanistan make life a living hell. Night terrors are not like regular nightmares. They make your heart race and they paralyze you with fear. One of the things Roz does for him is waking him up when he is having especially severe episodes. 

The thieves broke into his Arlington, Texas apartment one night when he was gone and also took material goods, including jewelry and electronics. But Bernadin doesn't really care about these items. He just wants Roz back! Life without Roz is unbearably lonely and frightening for Emmanuel.

There were apparently no witnesses to the crime. They currently have no leads, which only adds to Bernadin's distress. The situation looks pretty dismal. If you have any tips that may lead to the return of his service dog, please call Detective Kate Phillips at (817) 459-6482. If you wish to remain anonymous instead, you can contact the Tarrant County Crime Stoppers line at (817) 469-TIPS (8477).

But if you don't know anything, that doesn't mean you can't help. Spread the word to as many people as possible to maximize the odds that someone who knows something will see this and speak up!