Annabelle Weiss joined the Marines when she was 20 during the United States’ involvement in World War II.
She drove big trucks and inspected plane engines before she was discharged in 1946 after serving two years.
She'd been dealing with various health issues related to her service when, in 2013, she found out about America's VetDogs, a charity that offers service dogs to veterans. Her life has been altered for the good since she was matched with Joe, a golden retriever.
"He changed my life, he really did," Weiss, 92, told "Today." "Without him I would be at the house a lot. Now people call me and I'm never home."
Joe joins Weiss almost everywhere she goes: At the Lindenhurst Diner nearly twice a week. A nearby park almost daily. Or the reading club at the Lindenhurst Memorial Library where Joe is the unofficial mascot.
Joe can open and close doors. He helps Weiss with items she drops. He can even get her phone on command.
"In the house, he's a dog," Weiss said. "When he's outside, he has his vest on, and he's on the job like a cop."
Cox Media Group
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