Even heroes need help sometimes. For some of our brave service members, coming back from war is not the end of the battle. Every veteran, including the military dogs who serve valiantly alongside human handlers, deserves our utmost attention and care upon their return.
I advocate on behalf of war dogs and their handlers because I understand the power of the bond that forms between America’s heroes on both ends of the leash. The bond emerges on the hot sands of Afghanistan and Iraq and is forged on the field of battle. When service members and their military working dogs return home, that bond can serve as a tool for healing the invisible wounds of war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which affects both humans and animals.
Our military working dogs aren’t just heroes on the battlefield; they serve the same role when they return to the home front. That’s why the American Humane Association launched the Lois Pope LIFE Center for Military Affairs recently to serve both our two- and four-legged veterans, and thousands of children with parents deployed overseas.
Thanks to a generous donation from philanthropist Lois Pope, this new national resource will help active-duty military, veterans, military families and military animals. Our K-9 Battle Buddies program helps military dog teams on and off the battlefield by sending care packages to active duty military dog teams, providing much-needed health care to retired K-9s, and facilitating the reunions of military dog handlers upon their return from battle.
The American Humane Association recently helped secure a major victory for veterans and working dogs everywhere with the passage of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which contained a provision that guarantees the return of all retired military working dogs to U.S. soil and gives their human partners the first right of adoption so these Battle Buddies can heal together. Prior to the law’s passage, military working dogs retired in a non-combat zone were designated as civilians and barred from travel on military transport, making reunions difficult.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 1 in 10 soldiers who return from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD, making their return to society difficult or even terrifying. Each day, an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide — a number we find both heartbreaking and unacceptable. One promising tool we have to combat post-traumatic stress is the use of service dogs, which have been reported to help veterans improve sleep, decrease startle responses, and rely less on pain medications. The new center’s Wags4Patriots program helps put healing leashes in the hands of veterans who need them most, all while conducting groundbreaking research on the physical and psychological benefits of service animals.
The new center will also send registered therapy dog teams to the National Military Families Association’s Operation Purple camps across the country, helping bring comfort and healing to kids with one or more deployed parents. And it will help redeploy veterans in our own backyard, utilizing their remarkable skills to aid animals and communities when natural disasters strike.
As American Humane Association celebrates its 100th year helping our nation’s military heroes — from the battlefields of World War I Europe to the modern-day home front — we continue to push for more assistance to protect those who protect us. In 1945, American Humane Association pioneered the use of healing animal-assisted therapy to veterans coming home from World War II, and today we are expanding that vision to new heights. With the help of generous philanthropists and people across the country, we will be able to continue the proud legacy of supporting America’s bravest men, women, children and animals.
With more resources like American Humane Association’s Lois Pope Center for Military Affairs, we look ahead to a new century of caring and compassion for America’s heroes.
Robin Ganzert is president and CEO of American Humane Association, the country’s oldest humane organization.
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