A U.S. Army veteran in Chicago's southwest suburbs received a surprise of a lifetime on Veterans Day. He was presented with a service dog -- a companion that he said will help support and change his life.

Jim Hertz arrived at a Veterans Day ceremony in Naperville with Rossy, a service dog. He had been training her for the past couple of months for K9s for Veterans , an organization dedicated to helping veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder transition back to civilian life.

Hertz told NBC Chicago he thought he was presenting the dog to another veteran on Tuesday afternoon, but little did he know the surprise was for him.

“Well, you know what, I think we’re going to help you out today,” said Louise Thaxton, American Warrior Initiative CEO. “You see, you’re training Rossy for you.

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