COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eddie Broom got a new dog and plenty of advice last week.
The Blacklick, Ohio, resident and U.S. Army veteran welcomed a new family member, a female bulldog mix named Marley.
It was the 14th pairing of rescue dogs with veterans by the Delaware-based nonprofit organization Veteran Companion Animal Services (VCAS).
Broom, 36, held Marley’s leash in the parking lot of his condominium — and later inside — as he absorbed tips and observations from Marley’s foster family, VCAS staffers and a veterinarian.
She’s very nosy, he was told. Watch out, she’s a “ninja.” Give her this food, give her this medicine.
The soft-spoken Broom mostly just nodded and smiled as Marley sniffed her new surroundings.
“It might not seem like it, but I’m very excited,” he said.
Watching it all, Tom Lennon stood back and reflected on why, for the past two years, he has volunteered with VCAS.
Lennon, 72, is in the middle of three generations of veterans totaling 84 years of service. His father was a U.S. Navy aviator for 27 years, Lennon spent nearly 30 years on active duty in the Navy as a pilot and ship’s officer, and one of his sons has spent the past 27 years in the Army.
“Service runs in my veins,” he said simply.
And that’s why the Worthington, Ohio, resident is enthusiastic about VCAS. As the group’s patriot affairs lead, Lennon is a key point person between the group and the veteran who has applied for a companion dog.
Although it’s not a requirement in order to get a dog, VCAS founder Heather Lane said most veterans who apply for one have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder or depression.
“They (the veterans) all have stories, dealing with PTSD and things, and I’ve seen these dogs bring them out of depression,” he said. “I’ve seen the dogs help calm them. So I see that and it just gives me a sense of fulfillment.”
In Broom’s case, he said he, “needed something to provide proper companionship for me.” He is going through a divorce, he said.
“I hope the dog brings me a sort of a permanent family.”
Life of service
Lennon was born in Columbus but grew up a “military brat” attending 11 different schools across the country. He then attended Ohio State University and was a member of the school’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.
He became a pilot specializing in anti-submarine warfare.
He returned to Columbus and directed Ohio State’s Naval ROTC program from 1997 to 2000, when his active-duty career ended.
But Lennon continued to serve, spending the next 18 years running the Junior ROTC program at Franklin Heights High School in South-Western City Schools.
