Paws4PTSD

I’ve had a lot of people ask and a lot of chances to answer the question of “Why did Paws 4 PTSD get started?”  I’ve done my best to answer in an adhoc way and finally decided a post to address this question would be the best way to explain.

I’ll try and give the reader’s digest version of why I started Paws 4 PTSD.
I am a veteran.  I am a former cop (10 years). I suffer from PTSD and in 2006 I almost ended everything and took the easy way out.
A couple years ago I started looking for ways to get a PTSD service dog after a friend of mine had success with his and was almost back to his old self. It was really this last year I started to work toward getting my own PTSD service dog.  However, I continued to hit road blocks;  My service was prior to 9/11. I wasn’t physically handicapped. I wasn’t diagnosed with PTSD through the VA process (My diagnosis was in 2006 by a civilian).  My first combat experience was in 1995. I wasn’t a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan, even though I did contract work for the state department in 2008-2009 in Afghanistan.  I wasn’t willing to spend $3,000 or more on a “service dog” that was shipped from somewhere to me (I know enough about animals to know I had to make sure there was a bond between me and my dog to have success).

So, I reached out to a few friends I’ve known for years.  I was introduced to a great organization out of San Antonio, TX who promised me they’d help and not to worry about it, but once paperwork was filled out and sent in I didn’t hear back. As my frustration built, so did my resolve.  There had to be a better way.  I wasn’t reinventing the wheel here, just trying to make it spin faster for people like me.  During a conversation with my wife to try and define what “people like me” meant I had an epiphany.  Every PTSD service dog group was created to help veterans.  There’s no one out there to help a rape victim with a PTSD.  Or a victim of violence or child abuse.  The top two sufferers of PTSD are child abuse victims and rape victims.  Why were people only helping veterans? Money was the answer.  That although these groups really do great work they are making decisions on who to help based on money and how they can get it to help more.  Now, please don’t misunderstand me.  The majority of these groups are amazing at what they do and have helped tremendously in the lives of the people they were created to help.  A few that I know personally that do great work are Train a Dog Save a Warrior and Patriot Paws.

I decided Paws 4 PTSD’s purpose would be to  help ALL who suffer the effects of PTSD. Might be a child of a soldier.  A wife.  A rape victim in college. An older person who suffers like I do because their house was burglarized. And all our animals didn’t need to be service animals.  A lot of times a companion animal is what’s desired or works best for the person. Even a cat can help.  That’s why it’s Paws 4 PTSD and not Dogs 4 PTSD.

Then I thought about where to look for animals and how to “vet” people who request help.  Obtaining my service dog confirmed my initial thoughts.  We will use ONLY rescue animals. The rescue organizations work hard and selflessly to do what’s best for the animal, not the people. If you’ve ever rescued a dog you know the process.  Almost like adopting a child. Very detailed and most include a contract.  So again, why reinvent the wheel and step on egos and toes.  I can, through Paws 4 PTSD, be an advocate to help these groups.  Our focus will be the person asking for help.  In this way we have one group focused on what is best for the animal, one focused on what is best for the person, and when the connection is success is inevitable.

I hope we can build a network of veterinarians too to donate services. Businesses to provide the equipment needed.  In a perfect world the team of the person and animal would be “adopted” by a veterinarian and business in their area so we wouldn’t be adding cost and stress to their life, only providing healing and helping build a stronger community.