Jim and Amora: How A Three Legged Shelter Dog Saved A Suicidal Veteran

Jim Brakewood Jr. might look like kind of a scary dude. At 6’2”, loaded with muscles, long, wild hair and a beard a to match, he cuts a pretty imposing figure. It’s as if a Viking decided he wasn’t ready for Valhalla just yet and decided to pay Instagram a visit instead. He has a soft spot for dogs, though. In particular, his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Amora. Jim has seen war. In two tours in Iraq he has been in battle, he has been wounded and he has lost friends. During his second tour, Jim was shot in the head in Mosul, but somehow survived and made his way back home. He earned a Purple Heart, but was diagnosed with PTSD and like many of our veterans he turned to drinking and thoughts of suicide. His warrior spirit wouldn’t allow him to just give up, though. Jim realized that he was headed down a dangerous path, had been making poor choices and was determined to make a change. After some time, he felt that a young puppy might help with his PTSD training. He recalls the day he went to the humane society to adopt a puppy and met Amora, a three-legged Staffordshire Bull Terrier, “On the way back to go check out the puppies I walked by Amora. She just had her surgery to amputate her...