We were visited by Mr. Haight from Circle of Change Veterans Dog Program. The program takes veterans referred by mental health professionals working with various veterans organizations. The veterans meet once a week over 13 weeks with their peer mentors & experienced dog trainers to interact with each other and train dogs. The participants are exposed to all aspects of dog handling. The dogs chosen for the program by the trainers often display many of the same symptoms as the vets themselves such as anxiety issues or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program builds confidence, respect & trust among the vets, trainers & dogs. Working with the dogs to overcome their issues can help the veterans work through many of their own problems and gives them valuable skills to help them ultimately with dog ownership, although the dogs being trained are not specifically being trained for adoption by the vets. When they come to the program, neither the dog nor the veteran are usually well integrated in society and often cannot even make eye contact. It’s easy to see how this can be a win win situation for the veterans and the dogs. The program is offered free to referred veterans and relies solely on grants from the community and donations. Thanks, Mr. Haight, for telling us about this valuable program that helps those men and women who have served so faithfully.
