Sensing stress, Sarge put his paws on Dan Scott’s shoulders and looked directly in his eyes. The two were in the middle of 325 strangers. Scott started to feel surrounded.

Suddenly the worry left the former soldier’s eyes and he melted in the kisses from his service dog. The world was right again.

Scott was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in Iraq as a calvary scout. He hit five improvised explosive devices while piloting a Bradley Fighting Vehicle while in service. Getting blown up is hard to forget.

Moving ahead of the squad, scouts are the eyes and ears on the field, gathering information about enemy positions, vehicles, weapons and activity. Often exposed, scouts determine whether to call for reinforcements and when to order a retreat.

With the information they gather, commanders can make informed decisions about how to move troops and where and when to attack. The lives of the squad rely on scouts, it weighs heavy on the soul; scouts see the worst of the horrid nature of war and any wrong move could mean lives lost.

Back home in Wyoming, Dan found numerous triggers to his PTSD. He always sat with his back against the wall — that is, when he left the house. If he wasn’t forced to leave his home, he simply refused.

His wife, Maurena, often thought about ending their marriage, yet refused to give up.

“It’s not an easy road to go down, but I refused to give up on my best friend,” she said. Then they found Sarge, a giant schnoodle.

The cross between and schnauzer and a poodle was trained by Wes Mangus, of K-9 Elite, a Wyoming-based foundation service dog program for all service men and women who struggle with PTSD or trauma from serving our country or community. Mangus got to know Dan and Maurena well while training Sarge.

“Dan was a homebody — just depressed. He would never leave the house, couldn't go to his doctor's appointments, couldn't drive and couldn't do this,” gesturing to hundreds of supporters at the nonprofit organization’s biggest fundraising effort of the year.

“We trained Sarge for him. Just last week she [Maurena] texted me and he had sat through eight hours worth of appointments,” Mangus said. “They can go to the store and she doesn't have to worry about him. Sarge gives them peace of mind. He gives them comfort. He’s their safety net.”

He said the beauty about a service animal is in the difference between VA treatment and a canine.

“A veteran goes to the VA to get help, and they get meds thrown at them. It's just certified drug dealing,” Mangus said. “So soldiers are on meds for 10 years. Well, from year to year, your body changes. The meds have to constantly change, but that dog will change with you.”

Maurena said Wes saved the Basin couple’s marriage with Sarge and the follow-up support they still receive.

“Without Wes, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have a husband right now,” she said. “Sarge is a lifesaver.”

Wes and his wife Kaycie run K9 Elite. Wes is the trainer and the public face of the company, while Kaycie is the organizer. They have partnered with Sacred Mountain Retreat Center, in Deadwood, South Dakota, which has allowed the nonprofit the “depth and growth we have needed,” Wes said.

Sacred Mountain Retreat Center was founded to help those suffering from PTSD or trauma help process their demons and quiet the chaos. They offer a cost-free, seven-day retreat set in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The center is a catalyst for positive change in the lives of veterans and first responders. They help to eliminate the “noise of everyday life” and encourage healing through exposure to nature, alternative healing methods and open communication with brothers and sisters in arms, said Jared Gebing, founder of the center.

The programs are 100% mentor based — no counselors or therapists. They use hands-on therapy that promotes camaraderie. Activities that attendees participate in include equine therapy, working with their hands through metal work, leather work and woodworking, beautifying the land surrounding the lodge, meal preparation, body healing and more.

Together the nonprofits, both honoring veterans and first responders, have trained 40 services dogs in the past four years at no cost to the recipients. But that comes with a high cost to the charity.

Even though the most K9 Elite has ever raised at their annual dinner and auctions was $80,000, this year Kaycie wanted to raise more.

“I hope to hit 100 [thousand], but you never know,” she said.

By Monday the organizations were shocked, having grossed more than $120,000 from a crowd of 315 supporters.

“I’m still at a loss for words,” Wes said two days later after all the donations were counted.

Dan bought some tickets for one of the several raffles and won a small prize, but supporting K9 Elite was the most important part of the night. He is more confident and capable of making it through tough days, thanks to Sarge and Mangus.

The lovable pooch can tell when Dan’s in jeopardy of losing control before it becomes a problem. He’s like a health monitor for the former soldier, but calm and fuzzy. Wes is ready to respond to any questions the couple has about Sarge and loves to hear their success stories.

Sarge is steady. Even when other dogs walk by, Sarge keeps his attention on his “person.” Inherent in schnauzers is a tendency to favor one person over others, a trait often passed down to them. When combined with a standard poodle, you get an intelligent, easy to train, caring pooch with a wonderful disposition among family members and extremely cuddly.

Scott went from requiring Maurena’s help through the day (both work at home) to finding comfort in Sarge, which keeps him from “popping,” Maurena said.

“When Dan was in the service he had somebody with him — that ‘I got your back’ kind of thing. Now Sarge has his back, his front and everything,” Maurena said.