Service Dog Disease

There are between 45 to 55 million dogs per household in America (American Humane Association 2012). Furthermore, according to a national survey, the majority of dog owners chose to get a dog for the companionship as the major reason for having a dog (American Animal Hospital Association, 2004). After all, dogs are nonjudgmental, give unconditional love, can be trusted with our most intimate feelings and emotions, and are highly intelligent. These dog characteristics can significantly enhance the lives of thousands of youth and adults, especially those with disabilities and/or those who live in continuing care facilities. There are approximately 20,000 service dogs in the U.S., which includes 10,000 guide dogs (American Humane Association 2012)

Emotional support animals can take on a multitude of jobs that “may include reminding the handler to take medicine, providing safety checks or room searches, or turning on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, interrupting self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders, and keeping disoriented individuals from danger,” (Brennan). These animals are often considered pets but are actually so much more than that, emotional support animals have a very important role in protecting the mental health of their owners and keep them safe. Not only do these animals protect people’s mental health but they also give people a purpose. Taking care of one of these dogs or other animals gives people something to take care of and focus on. Knowing that there is another living thing that relies on them can be very grounding and keep people connected to something outside of themselves.

Once a puppy dog being trained as a service dog reaches eighteen to twenty months, they leave their training family and are brought to the training organization for further training along with other service dogs. The dogs are trained to have good manners. During their training time they learn fifty plus commands. They are trained to perform tasks that are difficult and uncomfortable such as crawling along the floor so that they can get under furniture to retrieve items that their owners may have dropped. The dogs must be strong in case they need to push or pull a wheel chair through a narrow area. At the end of training, they are given difficult tests to test their shyness and submissiveness, if they startle, and if they are forgiving and loving. If they pass all their tests, they go through a boot camp where their potential owners are trained how to take care of them. During

Some may argue that the dogs may bring back bad memories from the war. They may say that dogs do not help cure PTSD, but treat it only temporarily. In the article “Call of Duty”, Jose Armenta, a handler that lost parts of both of his legs after stepping on an IED, said that he beat himself up for a long time even after he was reunited with his dog. People against the idea of servicemen and women bringing dogs home think that there is only so much a dog can do. Some people believe that there is no cure or treatment for PTSD and that dogs would be of more use in the war zone.

Veterans. All of those that have previously served our country in the United states military. Sadly much to often, these veterans come back from their tours physically and mentally damaged. Along with broken and or missing limbs, they are often diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD. I found the fascination for this illness and veterans while watching a new show on t.v. with my family. It’s called Dogs of War. This show is about a program called “Paws and Stripes” that connects veterans that are harshly affected on a daily basis to service dogs. I know that the concept of veterans and service dogs isnt a new concept, but what is different about this program is that they get the dogs from an animal shelter, then

Over 900,000 veterans live in Ohio alone and many of them are in need of help after returning from war. Wags 4 Warriors is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation with a goal to provide veterans with service dogs to ease the strain of daily life. The largest struggle that many veterans face today is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which is an affliction caused by a terrifying event. Wags 4 Warriors is not only a service dog organisation but also a support system for the veterans and their families. We provide the dogs and training at no cost to the veterans themselves and many of the dogs are rescued

“Veterans report that service dogs help break their isolation. People will often avert their eyes when they see a wounded veteran. But when the veteran has a dog, the same people will come up and say, 'Hi' to pet the dog and then strike up a conversation.” This quote from United States Senator Al Franken is a shining example of the power that a service animal can have to improve the quality of life for those with special needs who have a service animal. Imagine!

In the wake of the wars, our military’s men and women have experienced things that most people cannot dare to dream of. Although some of them are able to transition into the civilian life, many are left with scars that are mentally and physically traumatic. Rick Yount established Warrior Canine Connection in order to help veterans and their families find a service dog to successfully guide and aid veterans to become stronger and to function better. Service dogs have been around for many years helping veterans get back on their feet and helping them with their disabilities. Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury affect hundreds of veterans each day. Those who suffer from amputated limbs must rely on others and mechanical devices to function.

This memo recommends that the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-MI) use its resources to support Michigan House Bill 4843. This bill attempts to address the need for the increasing number of Michigan Veterans affected by psychological diagnoses and the benefits that come from utilizing service dogs to decrease effects associated with these diagnoses for Veterans to function in society. It would allow a five-year pilot program to be established to record the significance service dogs have on decreasing psychological symptoms of Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. It would also record the number of Veterans who are able to return to normal functionality within society due to utilizing a service

While the use of service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animal is legitimate for people that have disabilities, many people abuse and fake their pets as service animals. In his Psychology today article, “Service Animal Scams: A Growing Problem,” author Hal Herzog Ph.D. explains how a growing number of Americans are faking their pets as service dogs. Herzog reports, “the present system governing the status of service animals is rife with abuse” and blasts The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Air Carrier Access Act for its loopholes. For example, if a person has a service dog, the ADA prohibits questions that involve the person’s disability, including documentation. Another issue is that the Air Carrier Access Act “gives legal

“Isolated, his family deteriorating—“I couldn’t show affection, couldn’t hug my kids”—Soliz turned to the Palo Alto V.A. Medical Center” (Colin n.p.) “Soliz says his life is slowly coming back to him and he now can go to the movies without panicking—and hug and kiss his two kids” (Colin n.p.). Moore who explained in her dissertation that, “some of the veterans spoke of ways their Psychiatric Service Dog has bettered their relationships with other people, in particular through increasing interpersonal interactions, Similar to Ensayra and Love's (2008) finding of the dog serving as a "social lubricant”

Seeing the need for a new way to heal, the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center in California offers a private place for veterans only. They call the program Warriors and Wolves. They have over forty animals at the facility. They’ve rescued wolves off chains in Alaska and dogs from a backyard breeder in San Diego. In their calm, nature setting, they’re giving veterans an opportunity to heal. One animal picks one veteran and that animal never shows anyone else that same affection. Having a companion and being apart of the pack helps them to heal. The wolves have been through trauma too, just like the veterans, so they have that connection. “There are things I’ve seen that I can’t unsee. There are things I’ve done that I cannot undo. Just saying that, well, I did in the name of my country doesn`t help you sleep at night. But what does help you sleep is having a companion,” says Matthew Simmons, the co-founder of Warriors and Wolves and veteran.

Walking into my final class of the day, I noticed that a fellow student is with a dog. As I got closer to the couple, the urge to pet the animal washed over me. My hands began to itch to feel the fur on my skin and to find the extraordinary spot behind the ear that all dogs love. However, a red vest caught my eyes with the words “SERVICE DOG” and “DO NOT PET” that yelled at me to not go through with my actions. Reluctantly obeying the warnings, I sat down next to the pair with an unaccomplished mission that was put before me. Trying to ignore the desire to pet the dog, another student asked if they could pet the dog. I heard the owner respond with, “I’m sorry. He’s still in training.” After hearing this, I realized that we forget that these dogs are on the job to help out their owners with their medical or mental disabilities and we, the outsiders, only see these dogs for our amusement. By defining what is considered a service animal, what the policies are for college campuses, what these animals are trained specifically for a certain numbers of tasks and we, as students, must respect their job and their owners. However, there are those that abuse the power of the loose definition of a service animal.

Service dogs and their handlers have an unbreakable bond. "Man and dog bonded right away, like they were made for each other." When Jose and Zenit began training together they formed an everlasting bond that would never break. When Zenit found an IED Jose let out a silent whoop because he was so proud of Zenit. Jose attended to the dog’s every need, from grooming to making sure Zenit didn’t get dehydrated. Just the two of them working together in the dusty, desert otherworld of Afghanistan. Jose said "you train your dog to do your job, leave the rest

A war dog is a soldier’s best friend. There are many articles and stores made specifically to prove how important military dogs are, not only to serve their duties but, to also bond with their handlers. Every story I have read had a part of how happy and completed soldier’s lives were. By completed I mean, every story the author said, “There is a unique bond between a military dog and its handler.” In my opinion that means