Service men and women can return from Iraq and Afghanistan, having sustained considerable physical and/or emotional trauma. How wonderful that properly trained dogs can help. Consider a donation to America'S VetDogs, the Veteran's K-9 Corps. These dogs work in the traditional guide dog and service dog roles, but their value has expanded to include therapy dog work. What follows is taken from the webiste of www.vetdogs.org.
"Your contibutions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. America's VetDogs trains and provides guide dogs for blind or visually impaired veterans, service dogs for those veterans who have disabilities other than blindness, and military therapy dogs to serve overseas and in VA and military hospitals.
Military Therapy Dogs
A Military Therapy Dog refers to a dog trained to provide physical, occupational, or emotional therapy to wounded soldiers and active duty personnel in military installations, military and VA medical centers, and VA nursing homes.
Combat Stress Control Dogs
These specially trained canines are deployed in theater for active military personnel. They offer emotional support for servicemen and women dealing with combat stress, homefront issues, and sleep disorders. Working with combat stress control units, the dogs provide a nonjudgmental presence. The dogs' handlers have reported that soldiers have talked longer, and more meaningfully, to mental health professionals when the dogs were present.
It is estimated that dogs in this role can interact with thousands of soldiers during the course of their deployment. The hope is that by addressing these issues while still in theater, service members will be better able to make the transition when they return to civilian life.
Physical and Occupational Therapy Dogs
These dogs are important members of physical and occupational therapy rehabilitation teams at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They can be trained to retrieve, to brace soldiers when they transfer from bed to chair, to help them get up if they fall. Through innovative "tug of war" exercises, the dogs can, with assisted tugging or resisted pulling, help soldiers as they adapt and work with their new prosthetic limbs.
Emotional Therapy Dogs
These dogs work with mental health professionals at VA and military medical centers to facilitate veterans' recovery from mental or social issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
