The Southsider Voice
Visit us at these places!
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Sports
    • Car Nutz
    • Stilley Goes Trackside
    • Southside Deaths
    • Personal Recollections
    • Reminiscing
  • About the Voice
  • Advertising
  • Contact
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Classifieds

Pairing veterans with therapy dogs 

2/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTO BY SHERRI CONER Christina Smith realized her dream when launching K9s 4 Dogtags last year.
By Sherri Coner
Managing editor

Every 59 seconds an American veteran commits suicide. 

More than 300,000 soldiers suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, which brings on severe anxiety and depression, sleeplessness and often, alcohol and drug abuse. 

Because they are so damaged on the inside, many soldiers are emotionally shut down, unable to express love toward their spouses and children. They frequently watch their families fall apart. 

When that happens they experience even more pain and isolation.  

Someone somewhere remembered how soothing a dog can be to a human heart, no matter how badly broken that heart might be. Add the fact that more than 2 million shelter dogs are euthanized each year and a new mission began – training shelter dogs to be service canines for veterans with PTSD. 

The dogs can be trained to signal the onset of a seizure or to remind veterans to take their medications. For veterans in wheelchairs, the dogs can be trained to bring items to them. Those who live in isolation find themselves going out to walk their dog. Because the veterans also participate in the training and praising of the dog, they emotionally open up by petting the dogs and offering positive words. 

Many veterans with service dogs report that for the first time in months or even years, they can sleep through the night. With a naturally alert dog next to their beds, they feel safe.  

When Christina Smith read about this new approach to healing veterans, she was immediately mesmerized. Then she discovered that Indiana does not provide an organization like this and that some organizations in other states charge veterans upward of $20,000 for a trained dog. She was already aware that many veterans with PTSD live on disability. Having the funds for dog food and grooming, treats and veterinarian visits can be difficult for them to find in their budgets. Affording to buy a service dog at that price was just not possible.  

“I starting thinking that someone in Indiana should offer the program but make sure the dogs were free,” Smith said from her Downtown Beech Grove office. “And then the wheels just started turning.” 

She did more research and a lot more late-night thinking. 

“Then I decided that yes, this program could be done here,” Smith said.

The fact that she had no experience in grant writing or fundraising did not stop her. She knew she had enough heart to make up for all those other things. 

“I sat my husband down and told him what I wanted to do,” she said with a grin. “We pulled our savings out of the bank.” 

Naysayers who pointed out why they didn’t think the idea would work did not sway her at all, Smith said. 

“I just said, ‘I have the passion. God is gonna bring me the people I need to start this. And that is exactly what He has done.’ ”

Last Feb. 8, Smith’s dream, K9s 4 Dogtags, was officially launched.       

With her heart and passion backed by unstoppable determination, “It has all taken off like wildfire.” 

A well-known PTSD canine trainer is training Smith at no cost to identify suitable training prospects in shelters and to begin the training process. A professional who specializes in writing grants to help veterans is volunteering her time to get some grant money in the door. 

Smith and her volunteers are working diligently to honor a waiting list of Hoosier veterans who desperately need these specially trained best friends. 

Smith is looking ahead and dreaming that someone will donate a building large enough for her to keep the dogs right there, within a few steps of her desk. That way, it is convenient and stress-free for veterans to work with their dogs.   

“I need these veterans just as much as they need us,” said Smith, whose late father served in the Air Force. “I’ve been blessed every step of the way.”   
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Arts & Entertainment
    Lead Story
    Sports: 500
    Sports: Basketball
    Sports: Track

    RSS Feed

 DROP OFF: The Toy Drop 6025 Madison Ave., Suite D
Indianapolis, IN  46227  |  317-781-0023
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 17187, Indianapolis, IN 46217

[email protected] | [email protected]
Website by IndyTeleData, Inc.