Vinny, a canine staff member of McIntosh High School, died on Oct. 21 after being diagnosed with heart and liver tumors. Vinny was  the service dog of social studies teacher and Marine veteran Christopher Judy.

Judy and Vinny, a Spinone Italiano breed, found one another almost nine years ago through the Healing4Heroes Organization, which is dedicated to assisting military service members and veterans in leading a healthy lifestyle by connecting them with Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant service dogs. Vinny also received additional training through Tails of Hope, which also specializes in training dogs for veterans. Vinny was partnered up with Judy as a guide dog, due to Judy’s lack of sight in his left eye.

“He was able to come to school with me daily because he was my service dog. What was unique about [him] is whatever triggers or whatever things he was trained to pick up on me, he was able to pick up on students as well. So, not only was he just my service dog, but he also helped out students in the classroom with similar triggers that I had. [He] was kind of like a mascot within the classroom and throughout the school,” Judy said.

Over the years, Vinny’s presence brought a lot of comfort to students around McIntosh, which was not only helpful to Judy, but also to students with various medical conditions. Vinny was a familiar face around the school and could be seen in the halls.

“He’s had that dog for as long as I have known, and I know how much he loved that dog. Vinny was almost his trademark. You wouldn’t see him without Vinny,” Nick Heil (12) said.

Vinny’s death caught Judy and his students by surprise. Judy decided to inform his students about Vinny through an honest approach.

“Tuesday was pretty rough. The hardest part of it was the fact that [Vinny] was here all day Monday. Going through that and telling each class that he passed. One of the big things about dealing with grief and trauma is putting all of the information out there. I tried to answer as many questions as I could and told everyone that he had a cancerous tumor in both his heart and liver,” Judy said.

One of his students, junior Jillian Cumbie, is a student in one of Judy’s classes.

“Tuesday we all found out that he had been put down due to a tumor in his heart and his lungs, and it was all very sudden. It really caught me off guard and like just the first thing that I thought was that I feel so bad for Mr. Judy because he cared so much about that dog and it just really made the whole day so much more dull. I’m just very sad,” Cumbie said.

Even students who don’t have Judy as a teacher still knew of Vinny.

“Out of all the years I’ve been here, he’s always been standing outside the door with Mr. Judy. It is really weird not seeing him in the halls everyday,” Peyton Bigham (12) said.

Shortly after Vinny’s death, Judy got a tattoo dedicated to not only Vinny but also to the military and to his family on his left forearm, which was the side that Vinny walked on to guide him.

The tattoo was done in conformity with maritime traditions. The tattoo includes a heart made by his two daughters, an EK Commando knife, which is a dagger only those in specialized units of the military can purchase. In the center is Vinny’s pawprint as a way for Judy to commemorate his service dog and friend.

“The heart and dagger symbolize life and death, and Vinny was the balance of those two for me. He was, and still is, a constant reminder to fight for what I love. That is a constant reminder not to let my mental health get out of check,” Judy said.

Additional coverage by Holly Rife and Leland Hawkins

This story was originally published on The Trail on November 19, 2024.