In 2006, a U.S. Army Officer named Christy Gardner was injured during a mission. As a result, she had both her legs amputated. For a period of time, Gardner didn’t know how to live again—that is until she met Moxie the service dog.
Moxie, a golden retriever trained by Florida’s K9s for Warriors, came to Gardner at the hardest time in her life. In 2010, Gardner was placed with Moxie. Instantly, her overall quality of life drastically improved.
“Moxie has been absolutely life-saving. In the beginning, she was more peace of mind for my family as I became more independent, as well as an extra set of hands to help me with tasks,” said Gardner. “Now, I can’t imagine getting through a day without her. She motivates me to stay active and healthy, going for extra walks and forcing me to keep my muscles moving and my weight down, as well as helping with simple tasks.”
With the help of Moxie, Gardner was able to live independently and become a para-athlete. Gardner, a dog-lover, decided to help raise a puppy named Lucky to help become a therapy dog at a local school. Lucky was also an amputee, having had a defective paw removed. Now, Moxie and Gardner are preparing Lucky for the best life possible.
“Because of his challenges, including losing his leg, he should be able to show the kids that it’s okay to be different, okay to struggle and that you don’t have to be good at everything in order to be amazing at something,” Gardner said.