When Joe retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000, he brought home a sense of pride in the 20-plus years of military service he’d put in worldwide. But like so many other members of our Armed Forces, he also brought home invisible disabilities that haunted him: post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury. By Lisa Davenport
SERVICE DOG EXPANDS VETERAN’S WORLD
When Joe retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000, he brought home a sense of pride in the 20-plus years of military service he’d put in worldwide. But like so many other members of our Armed Forces, he also brought home invisible disabilities that haunted him: post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury.
Toward the end of Joe’s service, he was having nightmares and trouble sleeping. As time went by, he became more anxious and hyper-alert, and he started having problems at work. “My symptoms became worse and worse,” said Joe. “I couldn’t go anywhere without being super paranoid. I hunkered down in my basement and isolated myself from my wife and two daughters – but I figured I was a tough Marine and could handle anything.”
He eventually had a breakdown and sought help at the VA, where he received medication and attended group counseling. “But I knew in my heart that drugs and counseling weren’t going to solve all my issues,” said Joe. “I knew something was missing.”
That “something” came to him at 3 a.m. one night when the idea of getting a service dog popped into Joe’s head. He researched service dog organizations, but said, “I became kind of depressed because all the places I found were in Florida or Ohio, and they wanted $25,000 to $30,000 for a dog.” He continued his search online until he discovered Freedom Service Dogs. “It was like a ray of sunshine hit me in the middle of the night,” recalled Joe. “I couldn’t believe this place was right down the street from me, and they would work with me and provide a service dog for free.”
After applying to Freedom Service Dogs, in 2017, Joe was accepted into the first class of Operation Full Circle (OFC), an innovative program in which veterans with PTS and traumatic brain injury work alongside Freedom Service Dogs trainers for four months to train the dogs provided to them by FSD. “It was kind of stressful at first since I wasn’t used to being around other people,” said Joe. “But it helped to have four Army vets in my class, and we all bonded fairly quickly. We told war stories and talked over things we learned, and helped each other out. It was a really good time.”
During the final month of OFC, Joe was matched with a mixed-breed dog named Ditto. “It was a great fit,” said Joe. “He has the same thoughtful personality as me, and he’s so smart and intuitive. I can train Ditto to do almost anything in a relatively short time.”
After nearly three years with his service dog, Joe said, “It’s a new life with Ditto. I can go places with him, and it calms my anxiety because I’m not by myself anymore. When we’re out, Ditto automatically puts himself between other people and me; I don’t even have to give him a cue. We’ve taken a lot of car trips and airplane trips, and he just curls up under my seat. And he wakes me up from nightmares, so I’m sleeping a great deal better.”
Ditto also has had a positive effect on Joe’s family life. “My girls and wife love him, but they know he serves a purpose for me. It used to be extremely difficult for me to go to my girls’ school because everyone is moving around and having conversations, and it was overwhelming. But now I can go to school conferences with Ditto, and he keeps me from focusing on everything around me. I can pet him if I get nervous, and just holding his leash in my hand is comforting.”
Joe says he wouldn’t have made the progress he has without Ditto, and he believes a service dog can make a big difference for other veterans. “Submit the paperwork to FSD, and don’t overthink it,” he recommends. “This is for your health and well-being, and you deserve to be considered.”
Freedom Service Dogs depends on all of us to continue to provide our beloved veterans a service dog to help them through challenging transitions. To learn more about how you can help, please visit freedomservicedogs.org.
– Lisa Davenport
Lisa Davenport is content coordinator for Freedom Service Dogs of America. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Englewood, Colorado, that transforms dogs into life-changing service dogs for veterans, children, and adults with disabilities. Lisa has specialized in marketing and writing for animal welfare organizations, real estate companies, and franchise businesses.