Cold Noses

unburyingthelead:

doree:

Dogs! Trained by prisoners to help soldiers with PTSD function in the world! HEART IT MELTS:

In August, Jacob Hyde got his service dog, Mya, from Puppies Behind Bars, a program based in New York State that uses prisoners to raise and train dogs for lives of service. The organization has placed 23 dogs with veterans with P.T.S.D. in the last two years, training them to obey 87 different commands.

“If I didn’t have legs, I would have to crawl around,” said Mr. Hyde, 25. “If I didn’t have Mya, I wouldn’t be able to leave the house.”

If Mr. Hyde says “block,” the dog will stand perpendicularly in front of him to keep other people at a distance. If he asks Mya to “get his back,” the dog will sit facing backward by his side. The dogs are trained to jolt a soldier from a flashback, dial 911 on a phone and even sense a panic attack before it starts.

There should be an initiative to have animals in public spaces. Their presence alone is astonishingly therapeutic.