A new nonprofit program, Pets 2 Vets, pairs military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder with rescued therapy dogs.
Many of today’s soldiers, returning home from war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, have battle scars—and they’re not always on the surface. According to recent estimates from the Rand Institute, 20% of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet, whether because there are no local resources available or because they do not want to appear weak, almost half of these cases go completely untreated.
In many cases, PSTD can be a matter of life or death: there are more than 100 soldier suicides each year, and several recent murders and rapes have been attributed to soldiers who showed classic signs of PSTD before their brutal acts. For soldiers having trouble re-adjusting to civilian life, seeking immediate help is essential.
While traditional therapy can improve their outlook, many soldiers are discovering that the best help comes in a furrier form: a therapy dog. The Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., provides a number of its patients with therapy dogs to play with, pet, and even help to train.
“Dogs are extremely responsive and their love is unconditional,” Lieutenant Colonel Matthew St. Laurent, the Center’s assistant director of occupational therapy, told London’s Times. “Petting a dog is very soothing and it also helped children of the wounded and interaction for a family in turmoil. It was hugely positive.”
Some of the veterans loved their experiences with the therapy dogs so much that they asked whether they could have therapy dogs of their own, and the demand has been overwhelming for several years.
So one Air Force veteran, Dave Sharpe, came up with a plan to help traumatized vets and homeless dogs at the same time with a non-profit that would match veterans with suitable shelter dogs, known as Pets2Vets. In the program, which launched in October, the dogs are brought into the hospital for weekly visits with their soon-to-be owners, and then are able to go home with their new human companions upon their release. Shelter staff members work hard to find the right match for each veteran, making sure that the dogs have the right temperament for the fragile veterans.
So far, the program has been a huge success for many vets and their new dogs, including Army Staff Sgt. Will “Ace” Acevedo and his new Jack Russell mix puppy, Xena. He picked the energetic pup because she had a cast on her paw.
“I walk with a cane and I’m injured, too,” Acevedo said. “We’re both healing. We fit together.”
Learn more about Pets2Vets at the group’s website.