A dog can be a man's best friend and for one war veteran, his dog named Tuesday, saved his life.
The pooch had such an impact on Luis Montalvan's life, that he wrote a book about it and brought it to Miami.
Montalvan and his golden retriever with the odd first name have been inseparable for more than two years. Montalvan got the service dog in 2008 after serving two tours in Iraq.
Montalvan was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and a doctor suggested a four-legged companion might be the perfect prescription.
He said Tuesday is a gift from God - bringing back ambition the former U.S. Army captain lost fighting over seas.
"I needed support and the fact that there were highly trained, loving dogs there to help mitigate these disabilities was a godsend," Montalvan said at a book signing at Books and Books in Coral Gables
The challenges surfaced after stab wounds, a brain injury, and three broken vertebrae - making walking difficult for Montalvan. Tuesday helps with that, but even more, he makes his master forget about the past, he said.
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"I don't know if I'd be dead, but I'd certainly be in a very dark place, so to say that Tuesday saved my life is not an exaggeration," Montalvan said. "He keeps me in the moment which is really important."
His dog is helping him move forward, and now, he wants to help others. That's why he wrote a book titled, 'Until Tuesday.'
Before his book signing, Montalvan said Tuesday, "saved my life, so I thought others could benefit from learning how. There's a million things that Tuesday does for me, so it's a real blessing."
