How Service Dogs Provide Support to Veterans, Active-Duty Service Members, and First Responders with Disabilities

This week, the world was able to witness the critical role service dogs have in our community. Several headlines centered on Sully, a Labrador Retriever who served as President George H.W. Bush’s service dog Sully was specifically matched with George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States in June of 2018, to provide support during his daily activities.

Service dogs, like Sully, have gone through very specialized training to perform helping tasks specific to the owners’ disability. These working dogs have access to any public space according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law. The ADA protects Americans with disabilities against discrimination in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in 1990. This landmark legislation expanded the rights and protection for millions of people with disabilities.

Disability is a significant issue for US veterans. The number of US veterans with disabilities has increased in recent years as service members have returned home with extensive injuries and veterans from previous wars acquire functional limitations as a consequence of aging with chronic diseases. To address this problem, nationwide programs train and place service dogs to help veterans with disabilities.

These dogs are highly-skilled and trained to serve individuals with physical injuries, PTSD, hearing and vision loss, and seizures. Service canines drastically improve the lives of people that have physical disabilities such as mobility difficulties, balance challenges, disorders, or musculoskeletal disorders. These dogs also perform behavioral tasks that help mitigate the symptoms of service-related post-traumatic stress (PTSD). They help veterans with PTSD remain focused on the immediate surroundings when facing vivid memories or flashbacks. They can help prevent panic responses and manage crowded situations.

These service dogs can improve:

🐾  Mental health

🐾  General happiness

🐾  Quality of life

Service dogs can provide both physical as well as psychological support. Service dog programs such as America’s VetDogs provide independence to veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities. These extraordinary dogs allow these heroes to live with pride, dignity, and independence.

Note: This post is not sponsored or associated with America’s VetDogs.