Vietnam veteran Alan Revercomb Sr., president of Hope for Paws and Pets-4-Vets, will be seen nationwide Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. on an Animal Planet program titled, “Saved by the Dogs.”

Interviewed in June by a representative from Animal Planet for about five hours, Revercomb, of Lorain, will discuss his efforts to provide veterans who are suffering, as he does, from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with a trained dog.

“I started to think about the project a couple of years ago, helping veterans with PTSD by giving them a dog, with prisoners training the dogs.

Our goal is to let the veteran know he is not alone. That the dog is a friend,” Revercomb said.

In 2006, Revercomb was charged with two counts of drug abuse and sentenced to eight years in prison. He served 10 months at the North Coast Correctional Treatment Facility and was released.

While incarcerated, Revercomb took part in a program to become a licensed dog trainer.

“I’m not proud of my past. It (going to prison) was a way to change my life. I needed time to think. I thought the world was against me. They asked me if I was interested in the dog training program. They issued me a dog named Misty. I trained her and she went to work for the Lorain Police Department,” Revercomb said.

Now, five years later, Revercomb has two dog-rescue companies and has been rescuing dogs since his release from prison.

Explaining Hope for Paws, Revercomb said, “We rescue dogs from the pound and from people who can’t care for them in their home anymore and we find them homes,” Revercomb said.