KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- 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. Dogs 4 Valor , 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. “A lot of times the veteran with severe PTSD is homebound,” said Sandra Sindeldecker, program manager for Dogs 4 Valor.
“They’re isolated. They’re very nervous. They won’t make eye contact.
Some won’t leave the house at all.” 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.
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. "When I got out of the military, I just assumed that you’re supposed to be on edge all the time as a veteran,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien’s mother spotted the frisky lab-poodle mi.
