To Be of Service

I already own a copy of this DVD and love it. This one going to be given to my local VA Service Office. Hopefully for them to use during the PTSD 8 week course they offer vets with PTSD. Although the VA doesn't furnish service dogs for vets diagnosed with PTSD hopefully some day they will. These service dogs have proven to work miracles with vets that have PTSD, the only way they can get a service dog is to raise the money to purchase them themselves. They have proven their worth in helping cure vets that are afflicted with PTSD but the cost would be to much for the VA to convince Congress to invest the funds. Didn't mean to preach in fact my narrative get turned down. But the DVD is wonderful and worth every penny you pay for it.

Speaking from personal experience with PTSD, though not from armed service, I easily recognize and empathize with each person's story and resulting behaviors. I had a German Shepherd for ten years that made my life bearable. I miss him greatly. He helped keep me alive. Now I've finally reached a place of healing where suicide has receded. I am gratified to learn that this situation with our suffering veterans who gave so much is finally being addressed in Congress. This is a very important documentary, and very well done. Anyone seeing it will easily grasp the depth of despair and grief with which our vets come home. These wonderful dogs change lives and bring comfort and hope.....something everyone needs from time to time, but especially our veterans. They've more than earned it.

This is a must-see video for all Americans to see. We send our young men and women to war when they return home. They are no longer the person that left us to serve our Nation and its citizens. Everyone must unite to cut the VA's restriction on the purchase of these dogs to only a select few kennels. Please join me in the fight by first helping vets learn that these dogs can be self-trained by the vet themselves. I know it is legal and possible to self-train a PTSD Dog Partner. I've done it for over twenty-six years and four dogs. This includes assisting other vets in self-training their Service Dog Partner. Unlike humans these dogs bond for life, provide unconditional love and security.

Best documentary on service dogs that I have seen.

Was very emotional movie to watch. Am a bon Jovi fan

When we think of service animals the first thing that probably comes to mind are seeing eye dogs. But dogs – amazing creatures that they are – are capable of much more in the way of assistance. I once met a fellow whose canine was capable of detecting when his blood sugar would spike or plummet. And over the past several years we’ve all been hearing more and more about dogs (and other critters) as emotional support animals. Anyone who has pets knows just how much they give us emotionally. This documentary focuses on emotional service dogs for service men and women. A half million American veterans suffer from PTSD. The affliction is not a new one though the designation is; in WWI it was called shell shock and following WWII it was called battle fatigue. The Lakota term for it was “the spirits left” and during the Civil War it was termed the Soldier’s Heart; many vets are fond of that sobriquet because it signifies that the heart has been broken. After years of disappointing outcomes from VA treatments, usually involving a raft of drugs (some of the vets here are shown to be taking dozens of medications a day) service dogs are having positive results. One reason is obvious: If you have a pet you’ve got something to concern you other than yourself. And service dogs need not only the usual stuff – feeding, grooming, walkies – they need constant reinforcement of their training as well. The bond is – and has to be – even stronger than the usual human/canine one. In fact the first step of the process has the dog essentially choose its human. Some VA doctors recommend service dogs but the VA will not cover the cost, which can be several thousand dollars. The dogs have to get extensive training (and not just in “Heel” and “Sit”) and a determination of whether they inherently posses such special skills as detecting such things as changes in blood sugar levels. Vets must either raise the funds themselves or go on a long waiting list for dogs funded by private donors. While all the vets interviewed for this documentary attest to how much better they’re coping with their PTSD since acquiring their service dogs the film is at its best with the few it follows from before they are matched with their canine and we can see the improvement. (It’s possible the same could occur if just any pooch was picked up from the ASPCA but there would be limitations on where an uncertified four-legged companion could be taken.) One touching scene has a vet unpacking the half dozen or so Amazon boxes of things he’s ordered for his new furry friend – food and water bowls, toys and grooming items. We have had 220 years of armed conflict since our nation was founded 244 years ago. Here’s a few statistics about where we are today:15 – 20% returning vets have PTSD… even more have psychological problems (and while it’s not dwelt on here, some have addiction issues both from self-medicating and as a result of the various drugs they are prescribed).82% have fewer PTSD symptoms after getting service dog. 40% reduce their meds. A multi-year study by the VA has not yet determined benefits of service dogs and it continues to reject the cost even while vets are given an astonishing amount of pharmaceuticals that have to cost a pretty penny.And one final sobering fact:22 veterans kill themselves every day. Every. Day.

Although I'm not a regular watcher of documentaries, I do have friends and family who are combat veterans. I've observed them, listened to their stories, hugged them and cried with them and experienced a fuller understanding of how they literally put their lives on the line. And our military services are all volunteer. Then they come home from war, and our government says, "Thanks for that. Good luck." And they and we know better. PTSD is not a new thing. The healing power of the relationship between dogs--who love unconditionally and heal through that love--and our veterans is amazing, emotional, and critical. We send them to war and they come back broken; dogs can and do assist them in becoming "Un-broken." As (supposedly) Hemingway said, "The broken parts are where the light gets in." Service dogs are the glue that puts them back together so that light can shine within. I have some issues artistically and editorial with some aspects of the documentary, but the overriding trope of how important these dog/veteran relationships are is clearly delineated. I spent large portions of the documentary with my mouth open wondering, "WHY?" Why isn't this a covered benefit by the VA?? A trained service dog is very expensive. They are not "emotional support" dogs--they understand and answer commands, and even know when their handler/person is feeling low. They're amazing.Regardless, watch the film, step up your compassion and appreciation for our warriors. I did.