Specially trained service dogs are proving that man’s best friend can help Veterans battle combat stress. Research has shown that animal therapy in the form of service dogs can help manage and lessen symptoms of:
- anxiety
- reclusiveness
- night terrors
- hyper vigilance
- neurochemical imbalances
- flashbacks
- memory loss
- cognitive dysfunction
A service dog is not a pet, according to the Americans with Disability Act. Instead, they provide a form of animal therapy in which clinical symptoms are reduced through their use. Each dog is trained with unique skills that match the needs of the Veteran such as:
— reminding the owner to take medication.
— helping the owner socialize.
— alerting the owner if they start to have flashbacks.
At Soldier’s Best Friend, a nonprofit founded by veterinarian John Burnham, dogs are rescued from shelters and paired with Veterans suffering from PTSD. From the first day Veterans enter the program, they receive their service dog. Over the next six months, the pair will complete the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program, will undergo public access training, and will learn socialization tasks. This rigorous training helps ensure that the pair is ready to go out in public with no mishaps.
It can cost up to $2,500 dollars to train a service dog, but Soldier’s Best Friend offers its services free to Veterans. The program is available to Vets from any part of the country; however, the six-month training takes place in Phoenix, Arizona. They even allow some Veterans to train with their own dogs, as long as the dog shows no signs of aggression towards humans or other animals.
Burnham cautions Veterans to use animal therapy as an adjunctive treatment to PTSD in conjunction with traditional therapy, or to use it when other forms of therapies have failed. Through the course of the summer, he has seen incredible results in the Veterans completing the program. One decorated Vietnam Veteran, Jerry Sweet, says his dog Max wakes him up from war-related nightmares he’s been having for over 45 years. Max wasn’t specifically trained to wake Jerry up; he developed the skill naturally while bonding with Jerry through the program.
Citizens Take Action
These service dogs make a difference in the lives of their Veterans. But, according to Burnham, the demand for service dogs is greater than the supply. Find out how you can support Soldier’s Best Friends so that every Veteran who needs a service dog can get one:
- Volunteer time and energy
- Donate money or services
- Sponsor a veteran by donating the $2,500 training fee
- Buy swag from their online store
- Get your friends, family and colleagues involved