Meet Robert and service dog Peggie
Robert kneels next to Peggie, his black lab service dog.
Robert Schaefer and service dog Peggie
St. Petersburg, FL
When a sweet, “awesome”, “water loving” black Labrador named Peggie became the service dog of LTC Robert Schaefer, retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer (Green Beret), diplomat and senior international defense expert, she took on a formidable handler. Robert is not only a global terrorism and insurgency expert in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, he’s a leadership consultant, national television commentator and survivor of almost every U.S. overseas military operation since 1990. Plus, he and his American Freedom Distillery partners are opening a bourbon and rum distillery in St. Petersburg in the fall.
In addition to being a “distillery dog”, Peggie will accompany Robert and his wife to the beach, something their Doberman, Paco, does not enjoy. “I’ve heard that a service dog can really add to people’s lives, but that is still a big responsibility and I don’t take that lightly,” says Robert. Peggie will be part of his new team and already knows her mission. “I would say that the fact that we’ve bonded pretty quickly and that she is very affectionate is great,” Robert adds. “My other dog is a good dog, but I can just be sitting there and Peggie will come over and lay her head on my foot and that is very comforting. She already seems to understand me.”
