Using specific details from the text, describe the relationship between Joe and Galaxie. You need to be sure you re-read your answer before submitting. You MUST use proper sentence structure, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE from the passage or from Google. If your work does not meet the expectations for a 5th grader, you will redo it.

A Hero’s Best Friend
U. S. Navy veteran Joe Worley can’t imagine life without his service dog, Galaxie.
NOVEMBER 5, 2018
By Tricia Culligan
Joe Worley remembers how difficult running errands used to be. One time, he tripped and fell in the
doorway of a store in his hometown near Atlanta, Georgia.
“I was in so much pain,” he recalls. “I felt helpless.”
Worley wasn’t able to easily get back on his feet. He had lost part of his left leg while serving with t
he U. S. Navy overseas. Worley has a prosthetic leg, and he would sometimes lose his balance.
Today, Worley doesn’t worry about feeling helpless. His service dog, Galaxie, helps keep him steady
as he walks. If Worley feels that he’s losing his balance, Galaxie is there to support him. The Labrad
or retriever also helps him go up and down stairs and pick up items he drops.
Galaxie is one of thousands of service dogs across the U. S. that assist veterans with disabilities.
“Galaxie has made my life so much easier,” says Worley. “I am extremely lucky.”

Joe Worley hugs Galaxie. “We make a great team,” Worley says.
Serving Our Nation
In the Navy, Worley was a medical specialist. He provided emergency care to troops during combat.
On September 17, 2004, doing his job nearly cost him his life. Worley was serving in a war in Iraq, a
country in Asia. He was riding in an armored vehicle when a roadside bomb exploded under the vehic
le in front of his. As Worley ran to help the wounded, a second blast knocked him to the ground.
“I wasn’t 100 percent sure I was going to live,” Worley says.

Most of his left leg was gone, and his right leg was badly injured. Worley is one of more than 30,000
U. S. service members injured during the Iraq War (2003-2011).
He was airlifted back to the United States and spent more than a year in a military hospital. That’s w
here he was fitted for a prosthetic left leg.
After he was released from the hospital, Worley had to adjust to life with an artificial leg. Walking o
n it was awkward and often painful, so he used a wheelchair most of the time. He hated having to rel
y on his wife to help him with everyday tasks.
“I feel terrible asking anyone for help,” he says.
A New Life
Worley knew something needed to change. In 2008, he contacted America’s VetDogs. It’s one of doz
ens of organizations that pair injured veterans with service dogs. Worley says it was one of the best d
ecisions he’s ever made.
“It is 100 percent life-changing,” says Worley.
Today, Galaxie goes everywhere with Worley. Having the dog with him has given Worley more confi
dence. He doesn’t rely on his wheelchair as often. When he does use it, Galaxie helps him open doors
and pulls the wheelchair when Worley is tired.
Galaxie doesn’t just help Worley physically. The dog also gives him a boost when he’s having a bad
day or feeling stressed.
“It’s really hard to be upset when you have a dog with its head in your lap,” says Worley.
Galaxie opens a door for Worley by pulling a strap attached to a special handle.
Special Helpers
Not all veterans return from war with physical disabilities as Worley did. But many have to deal with
constant feelings of stress and anxiety. They can have trouble sleeping or get nervous in crowds. A
merica’s VetDogs trains service dogs to help with these types of issues as well. Trainers teach the ca
nines how to help veterans stay calm and to wake them up from bad dreams.
“They can help the veteran focus on the here and now if they have flashbacks to events that happened
overseas,” says Kim Stasheff. She’s a trainer at America’s VetDogs.
Training service dogs takes a lot of time and patience—
and money. Training one dog costs about $50,000. America’s VetDogs relies on donations to pay for
the training. Worley now works for the group, helping to raise money. He travels across the country,
giving speeches about his experiences while serving overseas and back at home. Through it all, Galax
ie is by his side.
“Service dogs have changed the lives of so many veterans,” says Worley.
“They’re absolutely priceless.”