LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For veterans Kenneth Brooks and Dwayne Rucker, the wait is finally over.
On Wednesday, the Raiders Foundation, in partnership with Kline Veterans Fund and Michael's Angel Paw, surprised two veterans with service dogs. They had both been on the wait list for more than a year.
"Still trying to take it all in," said Rucker, who served in Desert Storm. "This is going to be great. I can go more places and do more things."
Brooks served two tours in Vietnam before returning home to serve in the Air Force reserves for more than 30 years. He said he has PTSD, anxiety, depression and diabetes.
"Having a dog to comfort me at those certain times when those particular problems occur would be great for me because when I go into a depression, it's kind of hard for me to come out," said Brooks. "I think that would be very helpful to have a dog there for me."
Supporting veterans and active military members is part of the Raiders Foundation's mission. Raiders Vice President of Strategy and Business Development Brandon Doll said helping people like Brooks and Rucker is ultimately why the team is here.
"This community has made a huge investment in us and we take that very seriously. So this is just a return on that investment," said Doll.
The veterans will have an opportunity to choose the dog they want and all of the vet bills, food and training will be taken care of.
And after today, both veterans say they will be Raiders fans for life.
