When a local veteran found himself caring for more puppies than he could handle, he reluctantly surrendered them to the Clatsop County Animal Shelter with one condition: adopt them to other veterans if possible.

The veteran had initially adopted a pair of yellow Labradors to offer emotional support through his transition back to civilian life. But the labs were not spayed or neutered, resulting in 10 puppies.

Now, the animal shelter is accepting priority applications for the puppies from veterans. Civilian applications are also welcome, but will be placed on a different list.

Justin Dersham, the animal control supervisor, said the shelter would work through the veterans’ list before moving on to the civilians.

“Puppies go fast,” he said. “We’ve had three puppies adopted already, and we have stacks of applications, so they are going quickly.”

At least two of the three puppies who have been adopted — named Sky, Olive and Violet — were taken in by veterans.

Dersham said that dogs can offer support and a sense of grounding for veterans as they grapple with emotional and physical trauma and adjust to everyday life after serving in the military.

“I would say labs are in that breed category that tend to pick up on human emotion really well,” he said. “They are supportive when they feel that you’re upset or you have something going on. So just having an animal right there to just say, ‘Hey, I’m still here,’ is extremely supportive for people, regardless of what’s going on.

“And then there’s a part of just having a soft furry animal to sink your fingers into when you pet them that provides some real grounding that can help when you’re in the midst of a crisis, so that you know it’s something real and tangible to hold onto.”

Dersham said the animal shelter might consider giving veterans priority for adoptions again as opportunities arise in the future.

“We’ve had a lot of positive support, and I’m pretty excited about it,” he said.