KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) 鈥 After working at a crowded and dangerous internment camp in Iraq, Air Force Staff Sgt. Heather O'Brien brought home with her anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A bouncy labradoodle and a Kansas City-area program helped her get back on her feet.
, operated through the Olathe, Kansas-based organization called The Battle Within, helps retired veterans and first responders work with their service dogs to help manage depression, anxiety and other challenges.
鈥淎 lot of times the veteran with severe PTSD is homebound,鈥 said Sandra Sindeldecker, program manager for Dogs 4 Valor. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e isolated. They鈥檙e very nervous. They won鈥檛 make eye contact. Some won鈥檛 leave the house at all.鈥
The program involves both group and one-on-one training. The goal is to get the veteran and the dog comfortable with each other and understanding each other. The group takes outings to help the veterans regain their footing in public places like airports. Program leaders also provide mental health therapy at no cost.
The veterans and dogs graduate in six to nine months, but group gatherings continue.
There is growing evidence of the value of service dogs for veterans with PTSD. published in JAMA Network Open in June looked at a program operated by K9s For Warriors. Service dogs in the program are taught to pick up a veteran鈥檚 physical signs of distress and can interrupt panic attacks and nightmares with a loving nudge.
Researchers compared 81 veterans who received service dogs with 75 veterans on the waiting list for a trained dog. After three months, PTSD symptoms improved in both groups, but the veterans with dogs saw a bigger improvement on average.
O'Brien, 40, recalled that the camp where she worked in Iraq sometimes had over 20,000 detainees. Violence and rioting were common and it left her with severe anxiety.
鈥淲hen I got out of the military, I just assumed that you鈥檙e supposed to be on edge all the time as a veteran,鈥 O鈥橞rien said.
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 mother spotted the frisky lab-poodle mix on Facebook and convinced her daughter to adopt the dog she named Albus. Months later, O'Brien learned about Dogs 4 Valor, and the pair joined the program in October 2023.
O鈥橞rien says she can now go out in public again 鈥 she even went on vacation to Branson, Missouri, 鈥渢hings that I never would have thought I would do really, probably ever again.鈥
Mark Atkinson, 38, served in Afghanistan as a corporal in the Marine Corps. He returned home with PTSD and major depressive disorder, causing sleeplessness and anxiety. He adopted Lexi, now 5, in 2020.
Lexi, a muscular cane corso breed, needed Atkinson as much as he needed her. Her previous owner had kept Lexi in chains before surrendering her. Since joining Dogs 4 Valor, the two can get out together and enjoy life.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really like leaving the house because I鈥檓 safe there, you know?" Atkinson said. 鈥淎nd having Lexi has just made me get out to be more social.鈥
Having a group of fellow veterans facing the same challenges has also helped, Atkinson said.
鈥淲e come from the same backgrounds, different branches,鈥 Atkinson said. 鈥淪ame issues. You know, PTSD or traumatic brain injuries. And they鈥檙e all very welcoming, as well. There鈥檚 no judgment.鈥
O鈥橞rien compared living with Albus to a relationship with a sometimes pushy best friend who often wants to go out.
鈥淭he best friend constantly wants to make you do things that make you nervous,鈥 O鈥橞rien laughed, acknowledging that it is ultimately up to her.
鈥淚 have to decide to walk out and just deal with life," O'Brien said. "And so that has been hard. And it still is hard from time to time, but it鈥檚 it鈥檚 getting manageable.鈥
Some veterans said their family relationships have improved since they started the program.
鈥淚鈥檓 able to talk, not fly off the handle and just get along with people and not be as stressed, not have as much anxiety,鈥 Atkinson said. 鈥淥r even if I do, she (Lexi) is right there with me.鈥
Timothy Siebenmorgen, 61, said his relationships also are better with help from his 1-year-old American bulldog, Rosie, and Dogs 4 Valor, which he joined in July. He served in both the Marines and the Army, deploying 18 times.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e in the military, kind of taught not to show weakness," Siebenmorgen said. "So you figure you can tackle everything yourself and you honestly believe that. And then you realize you can鈥檛 do it on your own.鈥
Veterans said the dogs, and the program, have given them new hope and a renewed ability to move forward.
鈥淚 got my life back,鈥 O鈥橞rien said.
