Benefits of Dogs for Military Veterans [New York Post]
The New York Post included one of our Boots & Paws companion dog recipients in an article about the value of dogs in helping veterans with PTSD.
Boots & Paws provides companion dogs (as puppies) to guardians for the therapeutic benefits of animal companionship.
Military veterans say these dogs saved them from crippling PTSD — ‘He’s totally changed my life’
Cortney, US Navy veteran
She grew up “an army brat” with multiple family members in the service and always knew she wanted to follow in their footsteps.
“I wanted to go places, to see things and protect people back home,” said the 39-year-old of her motivation to enlist at age 17 with parental consent.
She served about two years before being honorably discharged in 2005. But her time in the Navy was marred by sexual assault that has left scars, both physical and emotional. During one assault, she fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Now, with triggers at every turn, she said she “can’t go into public places by [herself].” Her agoraphobia makes even basic tasks such as grocery shopping traumatic due to the crowds.
She also suffers from migraines, nightmares and chronic muscle tension due to her PTSD.
“It’s a lifelong condition — it doesn’t go away,” said Courtney, who also has hearing loss from her TBI.
Last year, she turned to Guardian Revival, an organization that strives to revive and preserve the mental health and well-being of veterans and first responders.
In January, she was teamed up with Everest, a golden retriever-labradoodle, through Guardian’s Boots & Paws program.
“Before Everest I was afraid to go into public,” said the Dutchess county mother-of-five. Now, “all things are possible.”
This past summer, she was thrilled to attend a Yankees game with her service pup.
“He’ll tell me if someone’s coming up behind me … He never judges, never strays from me,” she said of her beloved [companion] dog. “With Everest, I feel safe — just his presence makes all the difference … I feel like I can conquer the world now … It’s a match made in heaven.”
