Home Page › Blog › Service dogs helping soldiers with PTSD

Service dogs helping soldiers with PTSD

service dog helping soldiers with ptsd
service dog helping soldiers with ptsd

service dogs helping soldiers with ptsd

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 11% of veterans that served in Afghanistan and around 20% of veterans that served in Iraq currently suffer from PTSD. 

Dustin Deweerd, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan suffers from symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. He has nightmares, anxiety, and flashbacks.

Deweerd was united with Gunny, a 3 year old Labrador Retriever service dog to help calm his PTSD symptoms and calm his anxieties. The service dog has been a godsend and has helped Deweerd cope. Gunny helps prevent the anxiety from even manifesting. “For some veterans, the dog can help a person go out in public. But for me, Gunny helped me go home,” said Deweerd. 

Deweerd and Gunny were brought together with the help of Patriot Paws, a nonprofit that trains service animals and unites them with war veterans.

To read more about Dustin and Gunny please read the full article here.

 

Leave a Reply

Latest Posts

How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD)

A Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) is a Service Animal specifically trained to support individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. A well trained PSD is able to ease symptoms caused by the mental disability and can comfort their handler in times of distress. In this article, we’ll cover how to be approved for a PSD, what […]
border collie tall

Should I Vaccinate My Service Dog?

Like all canines, Service Dogs will need to be vaccinated. In fact, they may need these immunity-building aids even more so than the average pet. Find out why and other relevant information on vaccines and Service Dogs within this article. The Service Dog Under the definition stated by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Service […]
Alert Service Dog

Service Dog for Anxiety – Everything You Need to Know

Service Dogs are used for a variety of purposes, ranging from guiding individuals with visual impairments to notifying those with medical disorders of impending episodes. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Service Dogs can also be used for those with mental illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and anxiety. These […]

Information at this site is provided solely for the user’s information and, while we strive to be accurate, all information is provided strictly “as is” and without warranty of any kind. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for legal counsel from a qualified attorney. ServiceDogCertifications.org, its agents, affiliates, employees or contractors will not be liable to you for any damages, direct or indirect, or lost profits arising out of your use of information provided at this site, or information provided at any other site that can be accessed from this site.