HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — The 2022 Florida Legislative Session has officially started. Lawmakers in Tallahassee are submitting appropriations hoping to get some funding for their districts.
35th District Representative Blaise Ingoglia, who covers Spring Hill and Brooksville in Hernando County, has nine bills he's looking to get some funding for including the expansion of a mental health facility for veterans in the county.
What You Need To Know
- Rep. Blaise Ingoglia introduced a bill to expand funding for K9 Partners for Patriots
- K9 Partners helps pair dogs in need of a forever home with veterans battling PTSD
- This mental health facility could receive $175,000 in funding
Meet Chance. He loves the sun but it's not the only thing he loves.
“I guess just look at him as more than just a dog,” Mark Wing said about his dog, and that’s because everywhere you see Mark, you see Chance.
“He came in like two days prior from Louisiana, from a kill shelter, he wasn’t really responding to anybody,” Mark continued to say but now they are constant companions.
He added, “I had dogs when I was growing up, as a kid, but this is my first dog in a few years. My first service dog, too.”
It may be a simple task for many but for this Air Force Veteran, now on reserve duty, walking through a grocery store can be challenging.
“The biggest thing for me was just being okay with not being okay,” he said.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is very common among veterans.
“For the longest time, you know, I was ashamed of just having the feelings or thoughts that I did," said Mark.
He’s not alone. K9 Partners for Patriots has grown tremendously since 2014.
Organizers say they’ve doubled the number of veterans coming forward looking for some assistance within the past three years alone.
That's why Rep. Ingoglia backed a $175,000 appropriation in this year's legislative session to expand the organization.
K9 Partners helps veterans like Mark find their fur-ever friend that will give them a Chance at a more stable and happy future.