(WSIL) -- A group of veterans celebrated Friday night with their new service dogs at a graduation ceremony.
These veterans have been working with an organization called . It's designed to match veterans with a service dog to help them with post traumatic stress disorder.
News 3 spoke with the founder and graduates about what the ceremony meant to them.
Tears, laughs and wagging tails were seen at the Pavilion in Marion as five veterans gathered for a graduation ceremony. They were honored by This Able Veteran for their hard work of training for three weeks with their service dogs.
"I think it's, it's going to help me be more, more open, hopefully more of a partner to my wife and just be more involved and more engaged instead of just inside my head," said 2021 graduate, Jon Turner.
This Able Veteran also celebrated 10 years of serving the veteran community. Guests donated funds and a graduate of the program gave a speech praising the group.
"When we started, it was like the field of dreams: if you build it, they will come. And in fact that's what happened here, we're 10 years in, a national organization. So amazing, so beyond what we could've wished," said executive director, Behesha Doan.
Now that they've completed the program graduates say their lives have changed for the better.
"Whether they know it or not, supporting small ways and big ways. All of these people are in the business of saving lives and this is witness to it, this whole graduation. And hopefully will go forward for many years to come," said 2021 graduate, Matthew Rautio.
The ceremony ended with an announcement and showcase of five new dogs for the class of 2022.
