After Blue started working full time after graduation, Bystrak noticed the positive impact the one-year-old St. Bernard/Mastiff mix had on her daily life.

“I can go out with my family and finally be the father I want to be, the husband I want to be, and experience things with my family that I can’t live without,” Bystrak said.

“I’ve been able to go places I normally wouldn’t because of my PTSD. I’ve been able to go out with my family again and have fun and not have to stress out and isolate myself in my house. It’s definitely given me a second chance with my family and I’m so grateful for that.”

Kreiger founded WNY Heroes in 2007 after returning home from Iraq in 2004 and dealing with several service-related injuries and illnesses of his own. After being sent to a polytrauma brain center in Richmond, Virginia, Kreiger emptied his bank accounts and lost his home. Despite his struggles, he was determined to prevent the same thing from happening to other veterans.

Kreiger got her own service dog in 2012 and realized the difference it made in her life. She started the Pawsitive for Heroes program in 2013 with the hope of making that difference in the lives of others.

With the support of sponsors, including the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, which sponsored Blue’s workouts this season, the program has expanded and helped veterans across the country.

“We couldn’t do what we do today without the community support, the sponsors, the donors,” Kreiger said. “I think the partnership with the Buffalo Sabres has been tremendous for us with the support back and forth. The awareness it’s created not only for the program but for the need for service dogs for veterans. When the fans come into the arena, you can see the excitement and the amount of questions the fans are constantly asking us about the program, how it works and how they can get involved. So the partnership between the WNY Heroes and the Buffalo Sabres is a huge stepping stone, a backbone for the success of the program.”