SSgt. Acevedo "Ace" is an U.S. Army Veteran who was diagnosed with PTSD due to a missile blast he was in while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). “Ace” is from Fayetteville, North Carolina where he lives with his 8 year old daughter and wife Tina who he met while they were both serving in Iraq. Ace and his family adopted Xena after Ace was discharged from the DC-Veterans Affairs Hospital.

Xena is a Jack Russell mix puppy that came from a shelter in Putnam, WV with her five siblings. While she was at the shelter she broke her leg playing with her brothers and sisters and had a cast on when Ace met her. She is an energetic and smart little pup.

Before C4H - ”I would stay in my room for months, not wanting to leave the house. My marriage was not so good because of the demons I was dealing with from my tours in Iraq. Always focusing on myself and what happened to me kept me from moving forward in my life.”

After C4H - ”Xena helps me keep the focus off my battle wounds and keeps me focused on taking care of her because she is taking care of me. One day I was playing with Xena and my daughter said: “Dad, I just noticed something about you! You’re smiling again – I haven’t seen you smile in four years.” My dog is keeping my marriage strong, too. Doctors and medications can only do so much but Xena completes me!”