Learn How We Make A Difference For Veterans

Sophie is a trained pit bull canine rescue animal who was given to Nick, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sophie was trained to be a service dog by Canine Companions to help Nick with his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Service dogs can be trained to recognize various stressors and to intervene with dog magic. Sophie is there to keep her charge calm.
“I work three jobs, two of them are my own businesses, so there is plenty of stress,” Nick said. “In less than a month, she’s helped me more than the VA or any of the other groups I have gone to.”

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2020), the Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) PTSD is included in the manual under the category of Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders. The criteria for being diagnosed with PTSD involve direct exposure, witnessing the trauma, nightmares, flashbacks, emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders, physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders, and many more. There is a minimum of 10 criteria that must be met in order for a soldier to be diagnosed with PTSD. The last criteria that must be met is that these symptoms are not directly related to substance use, other illnesses, or derived from use of other medications (“U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs”, 2020).
While each individual experiences PTSD differently, there are symptoms that generally occur for just about every person who deals with this challenge. PTSD causes an increase of feelings of anxiety and fear and can cause the inflicted to experience severe and debilitating panic attacks (Kloep, Hunter, and Kertz, 2017). Having a service dog that is trained specifically for the needs of the individual has proven to be successful in reducing the cortisol (stress related hormone) levels in these individuals. Service dogs can be trained to go into a dark room and turn on the lights, scan the room for intruders in efforts to comfort the inflicted person, apply deep pressure therapy which has been proven to induce feelings of security and calm, and provide the inflicted soldier with the feelings of safety and security that is so desperately needed (Kloep, Hunter, and Kertz, 2017).
References
Kloep, M. L., Hunter, R. H., & Kertz, S. J. (2017). Examining the effects of a novel training
program and use of psychiatric service dogs for military-related PTSD and associated symptoms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(4), 425–433. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000254
“U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs”, 2020; Retrieved from:
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/essentials/dsm5_ptsd.asp

Yes, we have had generous support and partnership in our mission from Pinal County Animal Care and Control. We are also endorsed by the California K-9 Academy, K.O.P.S. Kennel, Abbott German Shepards, and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. We have references from the Agape International Spiritual Center, The Dream Centers of Phoenix and Los Angeles, and we have worked closely with Superstition Harley-Davidson on fundraising activities.

We receive some of our services for dogs through volunteer efforts and county support, but we still need to provide clean and safe environments for our rescued animals, as well as food, medical care, and supplies. Great trainers are also worth investing in, and we need dog trainers with many years of experience to provide the specialized training required by service dogs.