Jon and Toby have been nominated for the People’s Choice Award highlighting the incredible association between a member of the Armed Forces Community and their canine partner, and how this partnership can help recovery after serious injury.

Grant funding from our friends at Help for Heroes enabled Jon and Toby’s pairing which has seen Jon go from strength to strength.

Jon says;

“A hip injury in 2009 brought my life to a standstill. Unfortunately I do suffer from chronic pain on a daily basis but that’s where Toby comes in any helps me. He somehow knows when I’m in pain, don’t ask me how but he does! He’s given me the opportunity to get out and do things which I didn’t think I’d be able to do anymore, and has actually made me want to get out and do things which I didn’t think I wanted to do anymore.  Recently I went to London, on my own for the first time, on a train, which was a massive step for me. When I arrived in Waterloo station, I dropped my train ticket, and immediately started to stress about how I was going to pick it up; I hate to ask for help, perhaps it’s a bloke thing. Before I’d finished my thought, Toby had scooped it up in his mouth and passed it to me.

“I know that I am a totally different person today, with Toby by my side, than I was BT! I am leaving the military, after 22 years, to begin a new life, and with Toby’s help I’m pretty sure that it’ll be interesting!”

Watch Jon and Toby’s full nomination here.

You can support Jon and Toby to win a 2016 Soldiering On Award by voting here. Winners will be announced at the Soldiering On Awards on Friday 22 April 2016.