Dog News

Dogs Help U.S. Veterans with PTSD

by Katherine

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When U.S. soldiers return home from serving their country, many of them come back with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can be challenging for a soldier to adjust once again to civilian life, and many times the best therapy PTSD patients receive, is the companion of a service dog.

Gabby Jack Ranch is a California based 501(c)(3), non-profit, corporation that tries to help U.S. veterans diagnosed with PTSD by helping them train their own service dogs.

Gabby Jack Ranch established Homefront Dogs Program and through this program they match eligible veterans with puppies. Together, the veteran and the dog participate in training classes where the soldier trains his or her puppy into become a service pet.

The service dog placement and training program is free and available to any U.S. Combat Veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD – no matter how long the veteran has been home. However, in order to fund the program, Gabby Jack Ranch relies on public donations.

“Animal Lover Funding is able to partner with such an amazing agency like Gabby Jack Ranch,” said Bryan Driver, Co-Founder of Animal Lover Funding. “Our goal is to help programs like these gain the funding they need to help as many animals and animal lovers possible. We’re hoping to help them reach their goal of $15,000 that’s currently being asked for on their campaign page.”

Fully trained service dogs are not offered through the Homefront Dogs Program, instead the organization offers servicemen and servicewomen the opportunity to bond with a puppy or the veterans’ own dog while training the pet into becoming the perfect service dog.

Photo Credit: Animal Lover Funding
Photo Credit: Animal Lover Funding

 

“We find it truly honorable that [Gabby Jack Ranch] puts so much hard work into helping those who have already sacrificed the world for us,” said Driver. “We’d love to help them out by letting the world know about their amazing mission.”

Help fund the Homefront Dogs Program by making an online donation.

Dogs can make the difference between embracing civilian life and being immobilized by it.

Learn more about the program and follow Homefront Dogs on Facebook.