By now, you’ve seen the heart-wrenching image of former President George H.W. Bush’s service dog lying in front of his casket.

But when you see it through the eyes of Eddie Reynolds and Stephen Onley, the image begins to take on new meaning.

“That dog is mourning just like any other person who knew him," said Reynolds, a veteran.

“What I saw was someone who once held the most powerful position in the world was able to say, ‘Hey, I need help,' " said Onley, a veteran.

In his final years, President Bush suffered from a form of Parkinson’s disease and had to rely on Sully, his service dog, for help.

For Reynolds and Onley, it’s post-traumatic stress disorder that led them to their service dogs, Callie and Lou.

"The most I would really do, I would look forward to hearing the mail truck go by every day, go out of my house and check the mail, to now volunteering here," said Reynolds.

Reynolds and Onley are members of “Operation at Ease.”

“They train their own dogs, I hold classes free of charge for veterans and they come every week. Under the American with Disabilities Act, you have a right to train your own service dog," said founder Joni Bonilla.

That act, originally signed by none other than President Bush in 1990, allowed Onley and Reynolds to train Callie and Lou to become service dogs.

"She kind of just drags me by putting her paw on me and saying, ‘Hey, I’m here,' and we kind of feed off of each other," said Reynolds.

Judging by that picture, it’s the same type of bond President Bush had with Sully.And by not hiding his service dog, Onley says President Bush left this world with one final inspiring act.

“Getting a service dog, the whole world knows you’re kind of stepping out of that comfort zone saying, ‘I needed help and went and got it,’ " said Onley. "For the guy who was president of the greatest country in the world to step up and do that, it’s pretty big."

Earlier this year, Operation at Ease was presented with the Daily Point of Light Award for creating meaningful change in the Capital Region. President Bush created that award in 1990.