West Sacramento

West Sacramento, CA · Lifestyle
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The Sacramento Bee
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The Sacramento Bee
A Sacramento-area veteran suffered from PTSD. This service dog changed his life
Tony Escue’s service dog Hugh has helped him regain some of the independence he thought he’d lost — and shown him what life beyond constant anxiety could look like. Escue, a 32-year-old Orangevale resident, served for nearly 10 years in the U.S. Army before his medical retirement in 2023. That year, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, after years of symptoms that had made it difficult for him to go places on his own. He turned to Canine Companions, a Santa Rosa-based nonprofit that helps veterans and others by connecting them with service dogs. This led Escue to Hugh, a Labrador mix who is almost 4. Hugh can do everything from turning on lights to tucking himself into the carry-on bag area under an airplane seat so he can ride with Escue, who takes him everywhere. “I was so trapped in my head for so long – years,” Escue said during an interview at Orangevale Community Park with Hugh at his side. “He really helped me to be able to have some independence and have some freedom in my life, and really give my family the freedom that I was worried that they were missing out on.” Why Escue