Nonprofit provides service dogs to veterans with PTS

Published Aug. 27, 2014
By Senior Airman Tristin English
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The experiences Behesha Doan has gone through during her 23 years of being a K-9 trainer have enabled her to build a program that gives back to veterans. Not only does the program thank veterans for their service, but it empowers them to take their lives back.

"This Able Veteran" is a non-profit organization trains service dogs for use in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress and provides the veterans and their dogs with training.

The number of combat veterans who have been diagnosed with PTS is high. Individuals with PTS experience a number of symptoms, including, nightmares, flashbacks, isolation, mood changes and avoidance.

"We get referrals from many sources: online, therapists, or even friends and family," said Doan, founder and executive director. "When the application comes in we review it and make contact with the vets to let them know we received it. As we go through the application, we find the people who are ready, we obtain dogs, and give them specialized training to meet the vet's needs."

Once the dogs are picked, they get trained to learn the vet's "tics"--tapping their finger, bouncing their foot up and down, gripping something hard, etc. The dogs are able to see the early onset of anxiety/panic attacks in any environment and alert the veteran of the oncoming situation to try to stop it before it starts or to calm the vet down. Some of the dogs are also trained to interrupt nightmares by waking the vet by barking or curling up next to the veteran.

The program is not only about the dogs, but about veterans learning to recover from trauma. Veterans have to be ready to make a change in their life. When a vet is ready for a change, then they are accepted into the program.

Matthew Mihelcic, who was medically discharged from the Air Force, said, "I was ecstatic when I was told I was accepted into the program. I thought, 'I have a chance to start over, and I'm not going to blow this.' There were more than 400 people awaiting approval. I made it a priority for me; there was no way I was going to blow this opportunity--it was just too important."

One of the first things the veterans are taught when they come into the program is to see through the eyes of the dog. The dogs communicate differently than humans. The members in the program learn who the dog is and why it behaves a certain way.
"Mama" was paired with Mihelcic before the start of the class after going through all of her training.

"I haven't really been around dogs before," said Mihelcic. "So I was unfamiliar with how to handle her, even how to walk a dog. I was stumbling over my feet trying to keep Mama straight, but all of that changed, and soon I was walking in the room with confidence."

During the program, the veterans gain skills that allow them to continue their trajectory back to a normal life, giving them the skills to cope with stress.

"Before, I would let things pile up, and then I would pop," said Mihelcic. "I would get violent, angry and drink too much. I just had bad behavior all the way around. I didn't know how to handle anything; it was my way of letting go, and I don't need to do that anymore. There's no reason now to do this destructive behavior. I've been able to stay calm because I practice a lot of the techniques at home so Mama doesn't have to be on alert that much, but if I let go or things push me to far, she brings me back to Earth. I've never been happier."