Grant Dwyer first considered whether he wanted a service dog back in 2023 when the psychologist he was seeing suggested it.
‘I was apprehensive,’ he said.
He’d just moved into a rental property in Adelaide with his partner and four children and was unsure about the permission he’d need. The cost associated with pet ownership was another concern. Then there were Grant’s feelings about the grief he had felt for a previous dog that had passed away.
But when someone from See Differently — an organisation that helps create life-changing connections between people and dogs, as an approved Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) supplier for the Rehabilitation Appliances Program — brought a service dog to visit him during a hospital stay, Grant said his mind was quickly changed.
‘We’re all sitting there watching the soccer and the service dog came up and just laid on top of me. I looked over at the handler and said, “what am I supposed to do?” because I didn’t call him over to me. I didn’t do anything.’
The handler shrugged his shoulders and told Grant the dog had chosen him for the day.
‘It’s amazing how they can sort of tell who needs the help and the hugs and the cuddles,’ Grant said.
Creating meaningful connections
Fast-forward to 2025 and Grant is now the grateful owner of Zella, a two-year old black labrador.
It’s a relationship that led Grant to discover Soldier On, as a way to meet other Defence Force Veterans with service dogs.
Since his medical discharge from the Australian Navy in 2017, due to mental health issues, Grant said the connections he’s made with fellow members of the Australian Defence Force Veteran community through a weekly coffee catch-up have helped turn the pages of a new chapter in his life.
‘When I was discharged in 2017, I was medicated and not sure which way was up,’ he said.
Having joined the Navy in 2004, Grant’s time in training and on deployment had left him feeling disconnected from civilian life. Suffering an injury during deployment to the Persian Gulf had taken a physical toll. Being the first person to discover a colleague’s suicide, as well as experiencing other trauma and stress during deployment in East Timor, took their own unique mental and emotional toll.
The effect on Grant was not only noticeable to him — but also to his family.
His partner had previously told him she felt like she had to “walk on egg shells” around him.
‘I’d get angry at little things,’ Grant said. ‘The kids felt it too.’
Grant said he’d be lying if he said his experiences in the Defence Force didn’t still have an impact.
But since reconnecting with fellow Veterans at a local Soldier On coffee catch-up, he now has a community that gives him a sense of belonging and understanding.
‘As I entered the cafe, not only did I see another service dog, but also a colleague that I hadn’t seen in over 15 years,’ Grant said of his first visit. ‘It was the best first impression I could have asked for. And since then, I have been a regular to the point that I sometimes remember what everyone else is doing when they can’t remember.
‘Every Wednesday is a different conversation that spans multiple genres, and then we also have special guests who talk about programs that are available to Veterans. The best thing about the coffee catch-up is that it gives me a purpose to get out and socialise and keep up to date with current and upcoming events.’
Managing mental health matters
Grant knows he has experienced important healing but also knows that looking after his mental health is a journey.
‘I’m in a good place right now,’ he said. ‘I’m a better partner and I know I’m a better dad.’
Having Zella in his life, he said, has been a game-changer. Not only because of the emotional support his canine best friend offers, but also because of the opportunities it has led him to, including his connection with Soldier On and the Adelaide-based Program & Engagement Officer he works with, Charmaine.
‘She does an amazing job,’ he said. ‘Being part of the catch-up and reconnecting with the Veteran community through Soldier On has given me a new way of looking at the world — and something I didn’t feel like I had much of before. It’s given me hope.’
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