Rescued Dogs Rescuing Our Veterans

Recently I saw a short TV segment about dogs who were paired with veterans with post traumatic stress disorder.  The TV clip showed the dogs and their veterans in a room participating in different kinds of obedience training.  Individuals and their service dogs were also shown at home and out and about.  There were all kinds of dogs being paired with veterans.  The dogs had been rescued from shelters where they had been on the list for euthanization. This touched my heart more than I can tell you.  To think that the dogs had been saved and were in turn saving the emotional and physical lives of wounded veterans.  The effect that the dogs had in calming and helping these people through stressful situations was amazing.  The idea of being responsible for the dog, and sharing love, was helping these veterans in more than one way.  This program, being done by Morgan's Dogs, is different than others that train dogs to work with veterans.  In this program, the veterans and the dogs are trained together, and the veterans do not have to wait for a dog that may be in training for two years. These are full service dogs and can accompany their veteran partner anywhere he or she goes.  What a beautiful concept:  rescued dogs rescuing veterans from their trauma and making their lives as civilians calmer and easier.  To read more about this wonderful project, click here:  http://wardogsmakingithome.org/about/us

This post prepared by Pam Todd, a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Art Fire, and whose studio, Bags and More by Pam, features hand-crocheted items for people, pets, and homes.  Pam supports The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, and plans to become a supporter of the program described above.  Veterans have done so much for us.  What an opportunity to do a little something for them.