JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A U.S. Navy Veteran, his better half, and his service dog got the surprise of a life time on Thursday.
Petty Officer John Tappen and his better half, Emily, received a new house in the St. Nicholas community.
Tappen was selected to receive a mortgage-free home from K-9s For Warriorsthe country’s biggest veteran service organization concentrated on supplying extremely trained Service Dogs to Warriors.
“Just a few years ago, I was considering suicide,” Tappen said after walking into the very first house he’s ever had. “To see this now, and all these people giving me the reason that I am pushing every day to hopefully end veteran suicide, it is giving me a reason to live.”
Tappen finished from K9s For Warriors 3 years earlier. He served in the Navy for more than 4 years, consisting of a nine-month fight trip prior to being released in 2011.
The Tappens have actually been wed for almost 2 years and relocated to northeast Florida from New England.
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They informed News4JAX the brand-new home is life-altering.
“This is going to give us the opportunity to get out of debt [and] build a future for ourselves,” Emily Tappen said.
Tappen ended up being the 5th veteran to receive a brand-new house from K9s For Warriors.
Carl Cricco, the CEO of K9s For Warriors, said picking Tappen and K9 Henry was simple.
“They are getting back to a life of dignity and independence,” Cricco said. “They are getting their life back. We are chiseling away at the anxieties that these veterans have to deal with in order for them to have the best chance of having a full and happy life.”
The new house consists of 3 bed rooms, 2 restrooms and a garage. JWB Real Estate Capital offered the home.
The business’s president, Alex Sifakis, said the procedure took about 6 months from start to complete.
“Homelessness is a huge issue — affordable housing is a huge issue,” Sifakis said. “Giving someone a house can really transform their life.”
Tappen can testify.
“I would never have this without you guys. So, thank you so, so much,” Tappen said to the group of agents from K9s For Warriors and JWB Real Estate Capital prior to being offered a round of applause. “There is a community out there. For someone who might be suffering, you know what give it another day. Talk to someone. Reach out. People want to help you. This is a part of the reason why if I never reached out, I would never be here, and none of this would’ve ever happened.”
Cricco said K9s for Warriors finishes 16 veterans and K9 groups on a monthly basis — 12 of them remain in Florida and 4 in Texas.
Click here for more information about K9s For Warriors.
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