Canberra's Chris Hodder and service dog Bella win hearts on The Voice

The 60-year-old defence veteran performs in a blind audition in front of judges Jason Derulo, Rita Ora, Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian on Tuesday night, following the return of The Voice to Prime7 on Sunday night.

It was a chance to "give it a go" after 30 years in the military, serving in hotspots such as Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and Somalia, his experiences leaving him with post traumatic stress disorder.

"I was apprehensive, not because of my age, I'm still pretty young in the mind and still a larrikin," Chris said.

"I was apprehensive about making a fool of myself. I don't see myself as a rock star or anything like that."

Far from making a fool of himself, Chris gives a moving country-inspired performance of a classic tune, Bella by his side. As always.

He was encouraged to try out for the singing competition by his wife Oana, who is supporting him in the wings during the performance, along with 25-year-old son Alexandru.

And Bella had to be there too. She has been with Chris for two years, the pair brought together by Integra Service Dogs Australia, which works with veterans and first responders suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Until she arrived, Chris had not been doing well, leaving defence "busted and broken".

"I then joined the public service, which I shouldn't have done, because that made things worse," he said.

The difference was Bella. She came the not-for-profit organisation Integra, which specialises in the sourcing, matching, placing, and training Labrador service dogs.

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Chris now can't imagine life without Bella. They are inseparable. She helps to calm Chris in times of stress and when he is feeling vulnerable.

"I couldn't ask for a better friend. She's my true angel," he said. "She's everything. I sleep better now she's here. She's not just a dog."

How Chris goes in the audition remains to be seen.

But he hoped highlighting Bella and the Integra Service Dogs Australia in such a public way might help other veterans with PTSD to understand how a beautiful and highly trained Labrador might be able to change their life.

"There are a lot of vets out there who are struggling and the time, the money that goes into this angel is worth every cent if we save one veteran," he said.

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