CHARLOTTE, N.C. - 30-year-old Army Specialist Jennifer Amidon has had a rough couple of years, to put it mildly.  She was a victim of domestic violence. Her brother committed suicide. And she permanently hurt her legs during an Army parachute exercise.

"It feels like broken glass being thrown across the floor and you're being ask to walk on it,” she says. After she was honorably discharged from the 82nd Airborne Division, Jennifer fell into a deep depression. She was also diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Her therapist suggested Hounds4Heroes, a local non profit that matches shelter dogs with vets.

Jennifer met “Sissy," a Treeing Feist, and the healing began. She says, "I didn't know how much of an impact she would make in my life or how much difference she would make but she really has helped me immensely."

When Jennifer got Sissy, it started a chain of events, the most recent happening on Veterans Day, when she was handed the keys to a donated car. But before Jennifer could get behind the wheel, the car needed nearly a thousand dollars in repairs.

That's when the Charlotte community stepped in. "I sent out an email to all of our contacts in Charlotte and within 18 hours, we had raised over $950 to be able to pay for the repairs,” says Jennifer Bennett. Bennett is the executive director of H4H and she is also renting a room to Jennifer while the Army veteran works on a college degree and volunteers her time talking with other vets.

Bennett says, "She (Jennifer) has a plan to devote her life to help other people."

Jennifer's also devoted to her little black dog, Sissy, who is motivating her to change her life, one step at a time. "There are people out there like myself that really want to make a difference, they have come through a lot of hardships and have just lost their way and they just need a little help to get back up on their feet,” says Jennifer.

Jennifer is appealing her disability status so she can get more assistance and eventually move into her own apartment with Sissy.

If you'd like to help vets pair up with shelter dogs like Sissy, there's a fundraiser Sunday, November 14 at Dogtopia (http://www.dogdaycare.com/charlotte/) in south Charlotte. Kids and pets can have their picture taken with Santa for $20. 100% of the proceeds go to www.Hounds4Heroes.org.