How shelter dogs are helping U.S. veterans battle PTSD

By Brian Prowse-Gany

They’re called man’s (or woman’s) best friend, and for good reason. Dogs seem to have the natural ability to feed off human emotions and reciprocate. Through a mutual understanding of things like happiness, fear and empathy, dogs and their caretakers are able to form a bond the way one would with a family member or friend.

 Clarissa Black has devoted her career to understanding the minds of animals. As an animal trainer with a master’s in anthrozoology — the study of interactions between humans and other animals — Black spent years working with elephants and dolphins. But it was a trip to the local Veterans Affairs Hospital with her dog that sparked the idea that would become her passion.

 Watching how the veterans lit up and responded to her dog, named Bear, Black was inspired to use her skills and resources to start training rescue dogs as a means of therapy for America’s veterans, particularly those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, anxiety and depression.

 “You could almost feel this weight being lifted off of them, that sort of sigh and that breath, and you could see their smiles,” said Black.

 She started the nonprofit organization Pets for Vets, whose mission was to not only help struggling veterans, but also to give a second chance to shelter dogs around the country, many of whom are destined for an unhappy ending.

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