Fort Myers veteran gets free dog from Petland

FORT MYERS, Fla. Army veteran Tony Parker received a heartwarming gift from a local Petland store while going through a tough time.

After moving his mother into a nursing home, Parker has been feeling down and decided to go to Petland and look at the dogs that were up for adoption. He immediately fell in love with one dog, Gracie.

“When I picked her up, she put her head right here and just, just rested,” Parker said. “I mean it was like we fell in love.”

Unfortunately, this particular dog was nearly $2,000.

Parker almost walked away but when the owner of Petland found out he was an army veteran, she gave it to him for free.

“She said, ‘I want to give you this dog,’ and I know it was almost a $2,000 dog and she just gave it to me,” Parker said.

This isn’t the first time Petland has helped out a veteran in need, but since it was Veteran’s Day weekend, it made the gift even more special.

“Veteran’s are very giving themselves,” Petland supervisor Candice Bonilla said. “When they come back home, it’s very hard lifestyle to adjust to, and pets are honestly one of the best therapies.”

Parker also has another dog named Emma.