Local Veteran Reunited with Service Dog

Josh Merrill says he's relieved, rested, and more centered since his reunion with his service dog, Raven, on Tuesday.

Josh spent his first full day with Raven on Wednesday. He says he spent many sleepless nights, and long days, searching for her after she went missing. Now, he couldn't be more thrilled, "I was like oh, finally this is over," said Merrill, "she was just whining, and rolling over, and just happy."

The three year old black lab helps the army veteran cope with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. To Josh, she's more than just a dog, "it's like having a missing family member come back to you," Merrill explained.

Raven went missing when Josh was involved in a car accident on routes 332 and 96 in Farmington. While rescue crews were helping the victims, Raven slipped out of her collar, and bolted.

Josh immediately started putting up posters and searching for her. A lot of people stepped in to help reunite the army veteran with his service dog, "the overwhelming feeling was so many people, I had no idea who they were, were volunteering to help me find her," said Merrill.

Thanks to the posters, a worker at Morgan Recreation Supplies, in Farmington, recognized Raven when she wandered into the company's outdoor enclosure Tuesday afternoon. He immediately closed the gate, and called Josh, "they did a huge deed for me it's just," said Merrill, "I have no words for it."

Josh says the overwhelming support he got while raven was missing restored his faith in humanity. He now says he'd like to start a group called "Raven's Rescues." He wants to search for dogs featured on, "missing," posters and reunite them with thier owners.