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Program deploys dogs to aid injured vets
Quick ReadThe Canine Companions for Independence program provides trained dogs to help injured vets.
Photo credit: Photo by John Dunn | Maggie Deely, right, of Centreville, VA, holds Gillian II as she listens to retired Sgt. Sam Cila of Riverhead, at the Canine Companions for Independence graduation program Saturday in Islandia. Maggie and her family raised Gillian II to be a service dog. Gillian II was placed with Sam Cila, who lost his left arm while serving in Iraq. (February 13, 2010)
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Canine Companions for Independence
Sam Cila, who lost his left hand after a 2005 roadside bombing in Baghdad, is the first Iraq veteran to graduate from the Canine Companions for Independence program.
Cila, 36, of Riverhead, got to take home his new charge - Gillian, 2, a black Labrador/golden retriever mix - after the pair graduated Saturday.
CCI helps people of all ages who have disabilities, and trains them with a...
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