Army Specialist Connor Shea was 21 when he died by suicide after two years stationed at the National Training Center in the Mojave Desert, a posting marked by isolation and COVID lockdowns. Months later, his parents Tonya and Scott Shea found a direction for their grief. They founded We Walk the Line, a nonprofit that raises money for Blue Star Service Dogs, which adopts shelter dogs, trains them in prisons, and pairs them with veterans and first responders dealing with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries.
The need is enormous. The VA estimates about 22 veterans die by suicide each day, and hundreds of first responders die by suicide annually. For people who haven’t found relief through medication or therapy, a service dog can be the difference. Marine veteran Laszlo Szalay described it this way: once he got his dog, he had a reason to get up in the morning and someone to care for. The Sheas have sponsored several dogs already, and their motivation is straightforward. If it keeps another family from the grief they carry, Connor would be proud.
Here on the Suncoast, from Sarasota and Bradenton down through Venice, we’re surrounded by veterans, retirees who served, and working first responders. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available every day. You can learn more about the Sheas’ mission through We Walk the Line and Blue Star Service Dogs. What local veterans’ program do you think deserves more spotlight? Let us know.
