Bridgehampton Veteran Finds A New Friend Through Paws of War

A Bridgehampton armed forces veteran who needed a friend, found one, in a companion black Labrador retriever, named B.D. — which stands, simply, for “Black Dog.”

Paws of War, a Nesconset based nonprofit, helped partner B.D. with Kenneth Von Der Heyden, a U.S. Army veteran. Von Der Heyden, from Bridgehampton, has always had dogs, and after his Great Dane died a few years ago, he knew he needed a new friend.

“He’s never happier than when he is with a dog,” said Hunter Martell, Von Der Heyden’s son.

“B.D. brings out the softer sides in him, which is good to see” Martell added. “And also having something to take care of and be responsible for keeps you young and feeling good.”

Paws of War helped find the perfect companion animal for Von Der Heyden, focusing on finding a dog with high energy who could join Von Der Heyden on his day-to-day as a sculptor.

“We had to find a special dog, he needed a dog that would stay off leash, and be able to go on different properties,” said Paws of War founder Robert Misseri. “And we did.”

Von Der Heyden, who grew up in Rocky Point, enlisted in the Army in 1966. He chose to enlist with a friend through the buddy system, which allowed him to pick his job. After receiving a perfect score on a placement test, he decided to go to Officer Candidate School in 1967.

He was commissioned for six months and was able to avoid Vietnam, after the U.S. Army sent him to Germany, where he served until 1969.

After he left the Army, he spent a year hitchhiking and traveling across the U.S., learning about himself and the nation.

While growing up on Long Island, Von Der Heyden began surfing in the Hamptons in the early 1960s and fell in love with the area.

He noted that B.D. has a different personality from his past dogs, which were Great Danes and that B.D. is much smaller. But most importantly, she goes everywhere with him.

“That’s the way I’ve always had dogs, they just go with me,” he said.

On June 12, Paws of War volunteers officially passed the leash to Von Der Heyden, making B.D. officially his, but according to Von Der Heyden, he felt B.D. was his as soon as he met her.