Finn, a yellow Labrador retriever, is now stationed at the Wounded Warrior Battalion at the Kane'ohe Marine Base. His assignment is to bring joy and boost the morale of the soldiers, a job that took two years of rigorous training.

A highly trained service dog, Finn spends his days in a comfortable air conditioned lounge filled with brown leather sofas, computers, a television and game table. The wounded warriors there are recuperating.  Finn brings a touch of home and a feeling of belonging to something outside yourself.  He is beautiful, smart, and caring, and has made a big difference in the lives of the soldiers.

As reported by the Honolulu Advertiser, "Cpl. Masato Takaki, 21, said the atmosphere in the barracks has changed since Finn arrived. The dog means more responsibilities for the soldiers but they all love it.  "'Everybody is more relaxed with him around," he said. "Everybody plays with him. He loves the attention.'"

The Wounded Warrior barracks was designed to aid in the recovery of war or other injuries or illnesses. It's a place for rehabilitation, recuperation and transition back into the force or civilian life, said Sgt. Karlo Salgado, who is in charge of the barracks and takes Finn home at night and on weekends.

Finn is the first service dog to be placed in a barracks in Hawai'i, said Susan Luehrs, executive director for Hawaii Fi-Do, a nonprofit group that obtained, trained and donated Finn for this particular duty.  Hawaii Fi-Do works mostly with labradoodles, a cross between a Labrador and a poodle, but the Marines wanted a manly dog, she said. Finn was one of two Labs being trained for Marine use. His brother, Frank, went to a Kane'ohe Marine, Luehrs said, and a third young yellow Lab donated by veterinarian Mark Caspers and his wife is also being trained for barracks duty.

The organization is working with Congress to pass legislation that would pay for training and upkeep of these animals, Luehrs said. Typically it takes two years and costs about $20,000 to train an animal, not including the price to purchase a puppy. 

Visit Hawaii Fi-Do to donate and for more information, and contact your senator or representative to support legislation for their work.

Finn is one more example of our Aloha spirit in action.  Come see for yourself the spirit of the Islands.