Their names are Cai (short for Mordecai), Annie, and Tohopka (“Wild Beast” in Hopi). They are just three of the select group of rescue dogs being trained for the K-9 Partners for Patriots (K9P4P) program.
These are service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Not all dogs can make the cut. They need to have a built in instinct to sense adrenaline. Jeanne White who is in charge of canine acquisition and the rest of the team try to match the dog with the individual veteran’s personality to make sure they are compatible.
Gregg Laskoski, Communications Director for K9P4P states, “There is no cure for PTSD. Our program is for veterans who either have PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury or military sexual trauma. They receive a service dog and the two will be trained together. In many ways we’re saving not one life, but two.”
Mary Peter started the program in 2014 with one veteran – Ron Flaville. He was the first graduate and is now a certified trainer. Flaville is also one of the veteran liaisons, working with over 150 veterans, past and present.
Mary has been training dogs for over thirty years and is a certified master dog trainer (CMDT). She began the program with, not only her years of K-9 training expertise, but with the faith that properly trained dogs could literally save the lives of many veterans.
Mary states, “It’s important to understand the severity of PTSD. Many of these veterans suffer from nightmares and flashbacks. They avoid social interaction and crowds because these situations create anxiety. They have negative feelings towards others, as well as themselves.
Many of them are constantly on guard. They have what is called a ‘fight or flight hyper-vigilance.’ For some of these men and women the
simple act of going to the store for a gallon of milk can be a challenge. Many of the veterans that come through this program have told us that it was all they could do to just get out of their car and come inside our building.”
There are many skills that the animals and veterans work on. The training program lasts 19 weeks. The dogs are trained to be on “active duty” 24/7 and are attuned to the anxiety levels of the veteran by detecting increases in their adrenaline levels. The dog takes action to deflect the veteran’s attention away from his anxieties and toward itself. This even occurs when veterans and/or their dogs are sleeping.
K-9 Partners for Patriots also helps the families. PTSD leads to depression, self-medication (alcohol and other drugs). It’s a downward spiral that is self-destructive, leads to isolation and alienates even the people closest to them. If it goes untreated, it’s not uncommon for these men and women to wind up divorced.
Unfortunately, many commit suicide. The national suicide rate among veterans is twenty per day, according to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. For those with PTSD it’s even higher. PTSD can lead to other acts of violence, as well.
Laskoski affirms, “The work we’re doing here is putting our veterans in a more positive frame of mind. It’s extraordinary to see how, little by little, both the veterans and their dogs gain confidence. By teaching the veterans how to train their dogs Mary and the other trainers empower them.”
Dale, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War states, “Cai [his service dog] has made a world of difference in my life. I tried self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. That wasn’t working, so finally I did nothing. I became a recluse. I wouldn’t talk with anyone. I was a very mean-spirited person. I’ve been married for twenty years. My wife has been my rock up until the time I got Cai and now she’s got a little relief. He not only saved my life but his life was saved also because he was on ‘death row’ at Animal Control. He gave me the motivation to push boundaries. He never takes his eyes off of me. He goes everywhere I go, even when I’m at home. When I have nightmares, he’ll jump up on the bed and put his paws on my chest and lick my face. When I wake up, he’ll curl up beside me. When he smells my adrenaline go down, he’ll jump down from the bed and go back to sleep.”
Twenty-nine year old David, served in the Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He disarmed roadside and car bombs and conducted raids on houses. David relates his experience with PTSD.
“About two months after I got back I started experiencing the symptoms. I also have TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) – severe untreated concussions. I was extremely dependent upon my wife. I kept myself locked in my house all the time, barricaded doors at night. I wouldn’t go out or even socialize with family.”
David has been married and divorced three times. He is now engaged and it was his fiancée who found out about the program.
“She dragged me here ‘kicking and screaming.’ They told me the dog would help me and I decided I really did need the help and I accepted the help. Now I’m going out in public and I’m no longer barricading my doors. I’m not as paranoid. Annie [his service dog] helps me with my nightmares, anxiety and depression. Sometimes loud noises will go off and I wind up in the corner of a room. Annie pulls me out of it.”
David is now enrolled in college and majoring in Business Administration.
Thirty-six year old, Sarah was in the Coast Guard for ten years. She suffers from PTSD. When asked how she handled PTSD, Sarah said, “I kept to myself. I don’t really have a lot of friends. Tohopka [her service dog] is everything to me.”
She continues, “Coming here is an outlet for me. People here, even though we have different situations, we still suffer from the same types of problems. We all have anxiety and anger issues. It’s nice to be around people who can understand where I’m coming from.”
Sarah is currently in college and wants to eventually get a PhD in Neuroscience.
Although K-9 Partners for Patriots is open to veterans only, anyone who is an animal lover or interested in helping veterans can volunteer in various ways. One important way is to foster a dog who has been rescued and help it make the transition into the program.
Dogs have been helpmates and companions to humankind since the first caveman took a stray wolf in, tamed it and gave it a home. Now, through K-9 Partners for Patriots some dogs are literally life-savers to veterans suffering from PTSD.
K-9 Partners for Patriots is located at 16230 Aviation Loop Drive, Brooksville in the Joni Industries building.
If you are a veteran and believe you qualify for this program, if you want to volunteer or donate to this cause or for more information (testimonials, etc.) visit www.k9partnersforpatriots.com or call 352-397-5306.