Training Dogs for Service: Helping Veterans Cope with Distress (News Article)
“A lot of Veterans with PTSD tend to isolate. They don’t engage. They build a defensive wall around themselves so they can feel safe. But dogs have an ability to shatter that wall. They’re friendly and non-judgmental. They invite interaction.” — Sandra Carson of Paws for Purple Hearts
Henry Wheeler Shaw, a 19th Century American humorist, once made the following observation: “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”The good folks at the Palo Alto VA’s Menlo Park campus seem to agree, because for the last five years they’ve been using dogs to help Veterans overcome symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
– See more at: http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/2014/February/Dogs-Helping-Veterans-Cope-with-PTSD.asp#sthash.vwjLBx9X.dpuf