Dogs: A War Veteran’s Best Friend

The federal government is funding research to help determine whether battle-scarred war veterans suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may benefit from having service dogs as part of their recovery. Anecdotal evidence suggests that having a service dog may even reduce the need for medication.

The dogs are trained to jolt a soldier from a flashback, dial 911 on a phone and even sense a panic attack before it starts. And, perhaps most important, the veterans’ sense of responsibility, optimism and self-awareness is renewed by caring for the dogs.

The dogs help soldiers understand “what’s happening as it’s happening, what to do about it, and then doing it,” said Joan Esnayra, a geneticist whose research team has received $300,000 from the Defense Department to study the issue. “You can use your dog kind of like a mirror to reflect back your emotional tenor.”

Read the full article to learn more about the initial evidence gathered and the pilot program being launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs. There is an ongoing debate on whether soldiers must first undergo traditional therapy before being assigned a service dog. When do you think is the best time to grant a service dog to battle-scarred soldiers? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.