Le Lézard
Classified in: Health
Subjects: VET, CSR, PET

The Benefits of Service Dogs


MISSION, Kan., Sept. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- (Family Features) Service dogs offer countless benefits to help combat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but they can also be instrumental in rebuilding and uniting families after veterans come home from serving their country.

Photo courtesy of Purina Dog Chow

According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 30% of American military veterans experience PTSD after returning home from combat. Yet only about 40% of those individuals ever seek help.

Service animals are recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The designation is limited to dogs who are trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. In some cases, these tasks are highly physical in nature, such as guiding a person who is blind or pulling a wheelchair. Other roles service dogs play may be less immediately visible, such as providing a calming presence to a person with PTSD who is experiencing an anxiety attack.

More Than a Companion
Service dogs are highly trained to assist military veterans in achieving better quality of life. Veterans who utilize service dogs report lower levels of depression and anxiety, fewer hospitalizations and a reduction in medical and psychiatric costs, among other benefits. Beyond what these canines help prevent, consider these examples of what they empower:

Up to the Task
Just like the members of the armed forces they help, service dogs are highly trained professionals with an important job to do, including tasks such as these:

To see video stories of how service dogs have impacted the lives of veterans and their families, visit DogChow.com/service. In addition, for every purchase of specially marked bags of Dog Chow Complete Adult through Nov. 1, the brand will donate 5 cents, up to $100,000, to the Tony La Russa Animal Rescue Foundation Pets and Vets program, which matches veterans experiencing PTSD and other challenges with service dogs, free of charge.

When You See a Service Dog
Service dogs are often large breeds that stand out in a crowd, and their calm demeanor can make it seem perfectly appropriate to approach and pet them. However, it's important to remember that service dogs are at work and distractions can prevent them from providing the service their owners need.

The International Association of Canine Professionals offers these etiquette tips for interacting with service dogs and their owners:

Michael French
[email protected]
1-888-824-3337
editors.familyfeatures.com

About Family Features Editorial Syndicate
A leading source for high-quality food, lifestyle and home and garden content, Family Features provides readers with topically and seasonally relevant tips, takeaways, information, recipes, videos, infographics and more. Find additional articles and information at Culinary.net and eLivingToday.com.

 

SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate


These press releases may also interest you

at 00:25
Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd ("Junshi Biosciences," HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, announced its financial...

28 mar 2024
The report titled "Central Lab Market by Service Type (Anatomic Pathology/Histology, Biomarker Services, Genetic Services), Phase (Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3), Therapeutic Area, End-use - Global Forecast 2024-2030" is now available on...

28 mar 2024
The report titled "Personalized Nutrition Market by Measurement Type (Active Measurement, Standard Measurement), Application (Indication-based, Standard Supplements), Distribution Channel, End-Use - Global Forecast 2024-2030" is now available on...

28 mar 2024
The report titled "Carbon Dioxide Incubator Market by Product (Air Jacketed CO2 Incubators, Direct Heat CO2 Incubators, Water Jacketed CO2 Incubators), Capacity (100-200 Litre, Above 200 Litre, Below 100 Litre), Application, End User - Global...

28 mar 2024
The "Global Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Laboratory Services Market: Strategy & Trends with Volume & Price Forecasts by Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, Pathology, Covid-19, and Molecular Dx by Country. Updated with Impact of COVID-19"...

28 mar 2024
The "Molecular Diagnostics at the Point of Care. By Application, Technology, Place, Product and by Country. With Executive Guides and Customization 2023 - 2027 " report has been added to  ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Infectious disease Dx is...



News published on and distributed by: