Service dogs provide comfort, strength to veterans

A service dog is a veteran’s best friend. These highly trained animals help those who served their country re-enter civilian life by being trusted companions. They can sense something before it happens. They can detect low blood sugar, an oncoming seizure and prevent a panic attack.

“I still walk this earth because of a dog,” said Bill Jeffcoat of Plum, president of Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans. “These animals truly are life-changing.”

Making the transition back into the world from the service is complicated for veterans, and what they’ve experienced in the military can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Some of them have lost comrades. They may have been wounded. They may have emotional challenges.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, four times as many U.S. service members and veterans have died by suicide than have been killed in combat, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University. It found an estimated 30,177 active-duty personnel and veterans who have served in the military since that date have died by suicide, compared with 7,057 killed in post-Sept. 11, 2001, military operations.

Saving lives

There is proof that pairing service dogs with veterans saves lives. In its nearly 15 years of existence, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs Inc. (a nonprofit based in Florida that rescues, raises, trains and donates medical service dogs to veterans and first responders) has never had a suicide.

“These dogs can help repair relationships. They can help these veterans go back to school and get their degrees and get jobs,” said Carol Borden, founder and CEO of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs. “They help them go out in society again.”

The dogs are similar to an assistive device such as a walker or wheelchair, which is why it’s important to not pet them — they are constantly working to protect the veteran. Each dog is trained to meet the individual recipients’ exacting requirements, and veterans receive training on how to care for the animal.

Borden was in Pittsburgh last month for the annual Mutt Strut and AKC Fit Dog Walk on the North Shore. The event raised money for service dogs and a multimillion-dollar training facility to be built on 102 acres in McDonald, Washington County.

At the event, service dog demonstrations showed the abilities of these canines and people learned how the animals can improve the lives of veterans.

One local connection Borden made is with former Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Beechview teamed with Borden to help find the land for the new training center.

“The average veteran is better than the average person,” said Wagner. “Western Pennsylvania is such a veteran-friendly region. This is the least we can do to help those who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country.”

Funds needed

The training of service dogs requires money.

With the exception of a $50 application fee, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs are provided at no cost to their recipients. The organization must raise approximately $30,000 to cover the cost of individually training each dog, plus a lifetime of support.

Funds come from individual donations, private grants and fundraising.

There are other fundraising events in Pennsylvania, including the annual PAWing IT FOREward Golf Tournament, held by Service Paws of Central PA. The nonprofit doesn’t provide dogs but helps connect veterans to service dogs by supplying them with contacts.

Joseph Fagnani, a founding member of Service Paws of Central PA, said the animals can help veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition that’s caused by an extremely stressful or terrifying event — either being part of it or witnessing it, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

The dogs can help veterans who have brain injuries and can provide calmness and comfort when they sense anxiety. The animals can detect low blood sugar or sense if a veteran is about to have a seizure.

“Their training is remarkable,“ Fagnani said.

When people think of service dogs, the first breeds that come to mind are likely Labrador retrievers, German shepherds and golden retrievers. These breeds are indeed a popular choice among service dog training and breeding organizations, according to the American Kennel Club.

But they’re far from the only breeds that are well-suited to this line of work, according to the AKC.

Offering love and support

Since May 2010, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, which trains German Shepherds, has paired 450 dogs with recipients in 33 states. When a veteran is paired with a dog the veteran is responsible for basic incidentals such as toys, a bed and food for the animal. The veteran must be able to care for the dog and will also handle the first $1,300 in an animal’s veterinary bills. Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs will take care of anything above that cost. Often, a veteran needs more than one dog in their lifetime.

“If one of these canines saves one veteran’s life it will be worth it,” said Jeffcoat, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Vietnam as a dog handler. “They allow veterans to regain dignity. They can reduce some of the medications they are on. They truly can save lives.”

Using scent samples, dogs learn to alert to changes in blood chemistry from PTSD-induced nightmares, hypervigilance — a state of a heightened level of awareness or arousal, according to WebMD — anger, or anxiety attacks. The dogs can be trained to brace or help the person with their balance while walking or standing by wearing a special harness. The animals can help recipients from a sitting or lying position, pick up dropped items and perform many other tasks.

Borden said she recently hired a mental health life coach to connect with veterans who are on the waiting list for a service dog as well as those veterans who are paired with dogs. Helping veterans manage their emotions is an essential element to caring for them, Borden said.

When Matt Zamosky, MSgt, retired from the U.S. Air Force, he said he didn’t feel the connection to a team like he had in the military when he came back for a civilian job. That’s why he decided to work with veterans. As director of veterans affairs and services for Westmoreland County, Zamosky said there definitely are benefits to service dogs.

“I have not heard of a case where having a service animal was not a benefit to a veteran,” Zamosky said. “With anything, there are pros and cons, but on those dark days to have unconditional love that a dog provides is a huge help for veterans. These dogs can make a huge difference in a veteran’s life. Anyone who has owned a pet can see why this would be helpful.”

Paying it forward

U.S. Army veteran Matthew McMurray of Michigan, who came to Pittsburgh for the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs event last month with his wife Marilou, said it is important to support the organization and help raise money for the new facility so that more veterans can be paired with service dogs.

“It’s about paying it forward,” said McMurray, while service dog Cobalt sat by his side.

An Iraq veteran, McMurray said he has been able to finish his bachelor’s degree and get a job. Cobalt helped save McMurray’s marriage, he said, and gives McMurray confidence and purpose.

“A lot of what I am doing today is because of this dog,” McMurray said. “I was afraid to be in crowds and I had nightmares. The first day I had him I felt restored.”

Megan Stanislow of Beaver County can relate to gaining more confidence with a service dog. Stanislow, a U.S. Navy veteran, has Josie. She and her husband Mike, who met on Sept. 11, 2001, when they were stationed in Iceland, attended the Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs event on the North Shore.

“I am able to go to the store again,” said Stanislow, who heard about Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs at a veterans fair. “I have confidence and there is just a calming effect when she is around. She is a perfect match for me.”

The perfect match was immediate for Pittsburgh resident Tammy Watson and T.J. The dog went directly to Watson when they met in January through Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs. Prior to being paired with T.J., Watson didn’t want to leave the house much.

Watson was an officer in the United States Army Medical Division.

She medically retired in 2017.

“I would consolidate my medical appointments with my grocery shopping,” Watson said. “I would then go back home and I wouldn’t answer my phone. I would isolate.”

Now that she has T.J. she doesn’t feel so isolated, she said. She took the dog to Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore for a Pitt football game.

“She is giving me a new normal and a new purpose,” Watson said. “T.J. and I are in sync all the time. These dogs actually are guardian angels. They are truly magical.”