Sergeant Major James Baum retired from the USMC after 27 years of active service,
including multiple combat deployments overseas. He is diagnosed with PTSD and often
is uncomfortable in crowded places and remains hypervigilant in public, additionally,
James has some mobility issues. James believes that having a Service Dog that he
trained will not only increase the bond with his current dog but will also increase his
confidence and make him a more present and caring husband and father.
James got SASA when she was about 9 weeks old. James spent a lot of time working
to train SASA on his own while he was preparing to transition out of the Marine Corps.
During his transition, he found an internship with paws4people. Working with the clients
and the dogs instilled in him a desire to do work to train SASA as his Service Dog.
Through that process, SASA helped James to feel confident in public. SASA will also
help by interrupting undesired behaviors, helping James with mobility and anchoring to
James Anxiety. We look forward to watching the wonderful things these two will do
together.