Pets for Vets
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Pets for Vets is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a second chance to shelter dogs by rescuing, training and matching them with American veterans who need a companion pet.
History
Pets for Vets was founded in 2008 by animal behaviorist and trainer, Clarissa Black, who was looking for a way to help American veterans who were suffering from combat stress and other emotional issues related to their service. Many Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans suffer physical and emotional injuries making it difficult to transition back to civilian life. Pets for Vets helps military veterans reclaim normalcy in their lives through companion dogs.
Each companion dog is rescued in connection with local animal rescue groups. They are then given basic obedience training and any additional training that will help them assimilate into their new lives and then finally placed in their "forever" home.
Facts to Consider
Estimates that anywhere from one in eight [1] to one in five of all Iraq war veterans have some degree of PTSD and two thirds of those who screened positive for PTSD are not receiving treatment.[2] People who suffer from PTSD experience anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, flashbacks, and extreme wariness. It may manifest right away or show up months or even years later. Some of those who suffer from PTSD commit suicide.
According to the ASPCA,every year between 6 and 8 million dogs and cats are abandoned at shelters in the United States. Nationally five out of ten shelter dogs and seven out of ten shelter cats are euthanized because there is no one to adopt them from the shelter [3] These dogs and cats can make excellent companion animals but never have that chance.
Benefits
Animal-assisted therapy has typically been used to treat physical disabilities; it is becoming increasingly useful in treating patients with psychological complications including PTSD and combat stress and even reducing symptoms of PTSD in as many as 82% of patients studied.[4]
More and more veterans are being written prescriptions for companion animals to help combat PTSD. Pets can help alleviate stress, loneliness and anxiety [5][6][7][8][9][10]. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pets can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and feelings of loneliness. Pets can increase your opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities and opportunities for socialization. Caring for a pet encourages responsibility and adherence to a daily schedule.
Pets for Vets has developed a program that can addresses these issues by bringing together animals needing to be rescued and veterans needing a companion for a better quality of life. Unfortunately not every veteran qualifies for a psychiatric service dog however everyone who wants one can benefit from a companion or pet animal.
External links
Studies linking pet ownership to healthier living
- James Serpell PhD: Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health & behaviour, Journal of Royal Science of Medicine, Volume 84, December 1991
- National Institute of Health
- Delta Society The Human-Animal Health Connection
- [http://www.king5.com/health/healthy-living/stories/NW_100109HLK-animal-assisted-therapy-podcast-JG.1da68857c.html The healing bond between people and pets, podcast}
- MedicineNet 5 ways pets can improve your health
Links to info on PTSD
- Treatment of PTSD
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Iraq War Veterans Organization, Inc.
- Post - traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms, Treatment, and Self-Help
Reference
- ^ MSNBC - Mental Health, Retrieved 10.08.09
- ^ Atlanta Metro News-Research: War feeds depression and PTSD, Retrieved 10.08.09
- ^ ASPCA Facts, Retrieved 10.08.09
- ^ Military News: Army Studies Use of Dogs for PTSD, Retrieved 10.08.09
- ^ Asp, Karen (2005). "Volunteer Pets". Prevention. 57 (4): 176–78. Retrieved 2006-11-05. Academic Search Elite. EBSCOhost. Polk Library, UW Oshkosh
- ^ Allen, K; Shykoff, Be; Izzo, Jl, Jr (2001). "Pet ownership, but not ace inhibitor therapy, blunts home blood pressure responses to mental stress" (Free full text). Hypertension. 38 (4): 815–20. ISSN 0194-911X. PMID 11641292.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|day=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Kingwell, Ba; Lomdahl, A; Anderson, Wp (2001). "Presence of a pet dog and human cardiovascular responses to mild mental stress". Clinical autonomic research. 11 (5): 313–7. doi:10.1007/BF02332977. ISSN 0959-9851. PMID 11758798.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Wilson, Cc (1987). "Physiological responses of college students to a pet". The Journal of nervous and mental disease. 175 (10): 606–12. doi:10.1097/00005053-198710000-00005. ISSN 0022-3018. PMID 3655768.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Koivusilta, Leena K. (2006). "To Have or Not To Have a Pet for Better Health?". PLoS ONE. 1: e109. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000109. PMC 1762431.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Vormbrock, Jk; Grossberg, Jm (1988). "Cardiovascular effects of human-pet dog interactions". Journal of behavioral medicine. 11 (5): 509–17. doi:10.1007/BF00844843. ISSN 0160-7715. PMID 3236382.
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