Wounded Veteran’s Therapy Dog Serves As Best Man At His Wedding

Justin Lansford and his dog Gabe have been through a lot together since the U.S. Army Veteran was wounded in Afghanistan.

Lansford lost his leg in an IED explosion during his time as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division in 2012, ABC News reports. When he returned home to recover, he was partnered with two-year-old Gabe, a golden retriever from the Warrior Canine Connection, a nonprofit that pairs wounded warriors with therapy dogs to help with post traumatic stress disorder. The two have since become inseparable.

When Lansford decided to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Carol Balmes, he could think of no one else he’d rather have as his best man than his faithful canine friend. So on Saturday, Gabe dressed in his finest and stood up with his owner at the couple’s ceremony in Largo, Fla.

This level of commitment gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “man’s best friend.”