Long Island Marine veteran surprised with service dog

NESCONSET, N.Y. -- A Long Island Marine veteran received a priceless gift Friday in honor of Veterans Day.

Joe Cipriano was officially handed the leash for his new service dog, Marlee.

The Paws of War organization surprised Cipriano with the celebration.

Cipriano served in Iraq and was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2010. He says he had mental health struggles, but now Marlee is a tremendous help with everyday activities.

"Marlee and I, we're tight buddies, him and I. He's my boy. Like I said, we go everywhere together and he makes it possible for me to go out and be indoors and do things that I was having a lot of trouble doing," Cipriano said.

Paws of War provided months of free service dog training, which typically costs thousands of dollars.