Andrew, a medically retired municipal police sergeant and Canadian Armed Forces Captain

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Andrew, a medically retired municipal police sergeant and Canadian Armed Forces Captain, to explore life after service, mental health injury, and the search for purpose beyond the uniform. After sustaining physical and psychological injuries in the line of duty, Andrew began using a service dog for PTSD in 2017, becoming one of the first in Ontario, and possibly Canada, to do so. Alongside his service dog, Riggs, he helped challenge stigma around mental health while instructing at the Ontario Police College. We discuss the hidden impact of service, the culture of policing and soldiering, the struggle with identity after medical retirement, the need for better legislation for service dog handlers in Canada, and how advocacy and community can lead to healing. A moving and honest conversation about resilience, dignity, and continuing to serve in new ways.