‘After I Saved Him, He Saved Me’

On Nov. 10, 2023, Navy veteran Joseph Radmacher received a phone call.

“A woman from a rescue group asked if I would adopt a 4-year-old Pomeranian from a puppy mill,” he said.

Still grieving the loss of his previous dog, which happened to be a Pomeranian as well, Radmacher explained that he was not sure he was ready.

“Then she told me that he’d probably be euthanized in a day or two,” Radmacher said.

Next thing he knew, Radmacher was in his car, making a 300-mile round trip to the mill.

“When I arrived, they shoved a poor, half-bald dog, covered in fleas and ticks at me,” Radmacher said. “The first vet I brought him to told me to put the dog down.”

Radmacher had no intention of doing that. Instead, he nursed Kody back to health.

“When I got him, Kody shook like a leaf and was scared of all humans. I just showered the poor little guy with love, and he made a remarkable recovery,” Radmacher said. “And after I saved him, he saved me.”

After rescuing Kody, Radmacher was forced to leave his home of 12 years because of a mold infestation that was making him critically ill. In the months that followed, Radmacher bounced between hotels, was hit by a car and suffered other traumas.

“I was in constant pain, which was exacerbated by anxiety that was caused by my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for Kody and Bill Prost from VFW Post 4055, I probably wouldn’t have survived.”

With Kody’s help and Prost’s encouragement, Radmacher is Still Serving to ensure other veterans can find support in difficult times, explaining:

“Kody and I are in the process of opening Project Gimme Shelter. I realized this project was a better way for me to make a significant dent in human and animal suffering instead of helping one or two people or pets at a time.”

Once it is up and running, Project Gimme Shelter will provide a safe environment for abandoned and abused veterans and dogs. Radmacher envisions a community that includes tiny homes for homeless veterans, a dog park and animal shelters.

“My dad, who was a Marine fighter pilot, always helped the less advantaged,” Radmacher said. “He had more compassion for people and dogs than anyone I’ve ever met. I help homeless people because that’s the way my dad raised me.”