George Vandenburgh and his dog, Gracie. Photo courtesy of Tracy Shaw/Maine Paws for Veterans

George Vandenburgh never went anywhere without his dog, Gracie.

The Portland resident was a Navy veteran and relied on the 8-year-old Pomeranian to help with his post-traumatic stress disorder.

He took Gracie home in 2021 through Maine Paws For Veterans, a nonprofit organization that matches veterans with dogs from local shelters and helps them undergo service dog training. Before Gracie, he had adopted a dog named Lucky through the same program.

Vandenburgh, 86, was driving to a routine appointment last week to get his blood drawn — something he did often while taking blood thinners, said Vandenberg’s friend, Patty Annand. He had Gracie in the car when he took a wrong turn onto the Maine Turnpike and exited onto Interstate 295 in Scarborough in the opposite direction of traffic.

He died in a head-on collision with a tractor trailer near Exit 4 and was pronounced dead at the scene. Gracie was injured, but survived.

Now, Annand is taking care of the dog. She said Gracie is a reminder of her friend’s “wonderful soul.”

Annand was expecting an expensive bill from the Maine Veterinary Medical Center for Gracie’s treatment, but was thankful to learn that the vet had waived the fees — a “gift from George,” she said.

Since the crash, she and Gracie like to go for walks in Deering Oaks and keep up with vet visits while she recovers.

Patty Annand walks in Deering Oaks on Thursday with Gracie, an 8-year-old Pomeranian, whose owner, George Vandenburgh, died in a vehicle crash last week. Gracie was in the vehicle and survived. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Annand said when she first met Vandenburgh five years ago, he reminded her of her father, who was also a veteran. She offered to accompany Vandenburgh to some of his appointments and help him understand what the doctor told him.

He was proud of his independence, she said, but she also enjoyed cooking for him a few times a week.

He wasn’t picky. Annand remembers he’d tell her, “I’m a seagull, I’ll eat anything.”

Jill Juris, who attended the same 12-step program as Vandenburgh, also remembers his sense of humor. She said he was well-loved in Portland’s recovery community for his kind, youthful spirit.

During meetings, she said he always greeted others “with so much love” and made them laugh, even when he was sharing vulnerable stories.

He went out of his way to check in on people he cared about, said Juris, like bringing her a box of tissues from across the room when she got emotional or engaging her in long conversations after their meetings.

Now, she said, she wishes she’d stayed back even longer.

“We live in such a fast-paced world now that we forget to slow down and cherish those moments,” Juris said.

George Vandenburgh’s service dog, Gracie, an 8-year-old Pomeranian, on a walk in Deering Oaks on Thursday. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Of course, Vandenburgh also brought Gracie to the meetings.

Juris said the dog is a sign to the group that they still “have a piece of George in the community.”