Shawn Wintermote, a military veteran, knows the importance of a good service dog. When he learned that a friend’s teenage son needed a dog, he decided to raise money to help. “I have a service dog, and she goes everywhere with me and detects my blood pressure and any signs of a heart attack. I couldn’t get away from the fact that we needed to do something,” he told The Argus-Press. Zachary Cook, a 14-year-old boy living with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, needed the service dog, and Shawn knew he could do it. He set a fundraising goal high enough to not only get the dog but also pay for the training. Shawn Wintermote Changed Zachary Cook’s Life Shawn Wintermote told Mid-Michigan Now that they surpassed their goal very quickly. “In my mind, if we can raise enough money to pay for the dog, we’ll work on the training, so we set a goal for $13,000. It kind of felt we were shooting for the moon. and shoot, I think we hit that number, I think in three weeks,” Shawn said to Mid-Michigan Now. Zachary’s new dog, Kobe, will be with the family soon. “Everybody loves him and he has one of the biggest hearts. The kids at school love him. I mean, they just, are really good friends for him and they keep an eye out for him,” Greg Cook, Zacahary’s father said. Shawn Wintermote loves Zachary Cook’s spirit and was happy to help. “His heart and his attitude have made me rethink my own attitude. so for him to go through what he’s going through, he’s a good kid,” Shawn said. All excess money raised will help another person get a service dog. Zachary’s family launched a separate GoFundMe to aid with expenses. This story’s featured image can be found here.