Guess who's the best man in this wedding

It seems like a regular wedding, until you see
who's walking down the aisle!

Dogs are no doubt man’s best friends, but this
service dog takes it a few levels up when he
walks as the Best Man at Justin Lanford and
Carol Balmes’ wedding.

What looked like an ordinary union became a
very special one with the dog’s participation.
Surely, the furry four-legged companion of Justin
stole the spotlight and the hearts of the guests
when he walked down the aisle.

Maybe a lot of you would be surprised to know
that a dog, and not a human was the Best Man at
a very memorable wedding. But once you learn
the story behind it, for sure, you will give Gabe
the service dog a two-thumbs up.

Justin Lanford said in an interview, “I was a
paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and we
were in eastern Afghanistan in early 2012. We
struck an IED and it flipped my truck completely.
I had bilaterally severed femurs which resulted in
the amputation of my left leg.”abe, the Best Man
at Justin’s wedding, is a service dog who
matched with him years ago through the Warrior
Canine Connection.
The whole process aims to help veterans deal
with the post-traumatic stress disorder by
connecting them with support animals. In the
case of Justin, Gabe really is a good match.

“The less I use my wheelchair, the more I need
his help in smaller tasks and the more he is
there. It has been very comforting to know that. I
have a prosthetic lubricant to slide my leg into
place in the morning and he can retrieve that,”
Justin said.
“He helps me with one thing to the next. I can
use him as a stable surface to lean on, as I get to
and from the ground. If I fall, he’ll come up
running next to me and I can use him to push off
of to get up off the ground,” Justin said.
No wonder, Gabe was chosen as the Best Man
because he truly is the one! With the help and
support, he gave Justin, for sure the newlyweds
are in for more beautiful memories with Gabe.
What a very wonderful and inspiring story! Hats
off to Gabe!