TRAINING SERVICE DOGS HELPS TO HEAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCARS

A young soldier recovering from a devastating combat injury sat dejected and depressed on the floor against the wall of his Palo Alto-Menlo Park Veterans Medical Center hospital room with his future unclear. The pain, extending well beyond his physical problems, was evident in his eyes.

He was approached by a very beautiful golden retriever dog and it was love at first sight. It was the beginning of a new and very positive chapter in the young man’s life. He was about to be offered a chance to serve other soldiers by training a service dog that will be partnered to assist comrades with physical injuries.

The chapter’s June speaker was Rick Yount, Director, Paws for Purple Hearts Program, a part of Bergin University of Canine Studies, Santa Rosa, California. There are active programs underway at both the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Yount has been involved with assistance dog training for many years.

The Paws for Purple Hearts program helps heal returning servicemen by teaching those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to train service dogs for veterans with physical disabilities.

Accompanied by a fully-trained service dog, Rick began his presentation by showing several film clips run on national and local television explaining the program and showing dogs in action. A veteran in a wheel chair was assisted as a dog removed a sock, brought a shoe, and later a cane. According to Yount, “It is easy to be angry and bitter, but not with a dog around.”

The veterans who are trainers experience the unconditional love and support of the dogs in training. This connection offers stress relief as these servicemen and women reintegrate back into their communities. Training the dog enhances self worth and provides a reason for participating in social relationships.

Training service dogs provides a way for veterans with PTSD to practice emotional regulation and gives their days focus and purpose. The dogs help to facilitate social relationships with members of the community since a critical element of training is properly socializing the puppies and practicing training skills in public.

The service dogs are trained to assist in activities of daily living by opening doors, retrieving dropped items, turning lights on and off and pulling wheelchairs. These are just a few of the many benefits that a service dog provides. Plus, the dog offers unconditional love and acceptance.

The service dog accompanies their partner everywhere–home, work, anywhere their lives take them. In many cases service dogs perform tasks that were previously performed by an attendant or family member, thus reducing the veteran’s dependence on other people and increases their quality of life.

Yount said handling and training dogs is valuable in the treatment of PTSD because the animals help the veterans connect with their emotions. The dogs counteract feelings of isolation. They have to take the dogs into the community, he said, and other people inevitably want to pet the dogs and talk to the person handling them.

This is a very impressive program, one that’s in the early stages of development and operating on a shoe-string budget, and there have already been very positive measurable outcomes. Senior administrators in the Department of Defense and the VA healthcare systems are recognizing the valuable role that dogs can play in healing our heroes.

According to staff members, “Helping oour dogs help veterans is a mission that we are taking very seriously at Bergin University. We need and appreciate your support to expand this program and rally around those who have paid such a high price in service to our country.”

Every dollar helps. Contributions help support the troops in need. Tax-deductible support makes the Paws for Purple Hearts Program possible.

Members who would like to support this effort should make out a check to Paws for Purple Hearts, indicate “Donation” on the check, and mail to Bergin University of Canine Studies, 1215 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95407. Rick Yount can be reached at Rick@assistancedog.org.

Source: Silicon Valley Chapter “The Bulletin”

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