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AnimalsWest Salem, Wisconsin

A Wisconsin veteran meets service dog Gilby after a two-year fundraiser

The La Crosse County American Legion and local groups paid to train Gilby for veteran Nicole Rogich. The dog is named for Air Force veteran James Gilbertson.

Verified · Source: WKBT News 8000Oct 11, 2026 · 1 min read
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A yellow Labrador retriever standing in snow and looking toward the camera
Illustrative photo of a Labrador retriever in the snow. This is not Gilby. Hand and Pharaoh Hound / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

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Nicole Rogich, a veteran in West Salem, has a service dog named Gilby after a community fundraiser that ran for two years. WKBT News 8000 reported that the La Crosse County American Legion and other local groups paid for Gilby's training. The dog is named for James Gilbertson, an Air Force veteran.

Training is why the wait was long. A service dog is matched to one person, and the community's role was to cover that cost. The news is the meeting, now that the training has been paid for. The report does not list the tasks Gilby will perform beyond the service-dog role those groups funded.

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