On Wednesday, WUSA9 got to meet the veteran who Bunce now calls dad.
If you're not one of Bunce's zillions of followers, I'll jog your memory. He's the English Labrador Retriever who WUSA9 Investigative Reporter Andrea McCarren raised and trained to be a service dog.
Dan Berschinski served our country as an Army Lieutenant in Afghanistan. In 2009, he lost both legs to an IED. He was 25. Fast forward to 2017, and Bunce now helps him in so many ways.
Dan shares, "He can pick up stuff off the ground for me, there's been a few instances where I've tripped randomly and he happens to be right there. And I can put a hand on his back and just kind of brace myself and bounce back off of him. On the days when I'm feeling sluggish, he gives me no excuse, I got to get up, get him out there or else I feel bad about it."
Dan brought the dog by to see his former dog mom, Andrea McCarren. She hadn't seen him in eight months. Let's just say Bunce definitely remembered her. We have what seems like endless video of the face-licking, tail-wagging, dog-hugging reunion.
It was also the first opportunity for Andrea to meet Dan. The two had an instant (any furry) connection. After a chat, Andrea invited Bunce to meet her new service-dog-in-training, Nigel. The two ran around the courtyard for a half hour, much to the delight of their owners, because a tired dog is a happy dog.
Andrea says it was a perfect day. "If I could pick the perfect home and the perfect most, deserving veteran, it would be Dan."
