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School Scolded for Turning Away Pit Bull:
Army Veteran
With PTSD Could Sue
by Karen Grace / KENS 5
Baloo is a pit bull who has been specially trained to help his master
cope with post traumatic stress disorder.
Even on a calm afternoon at a duck pond, the dog must stay by retired
Army veteran Andy Jones' side.
"He's my battle buddy," Jones said. Because at any time, Jones could
have a panic attack and flashbacks of the battlefield in Iraq.
Even though Baloo was wearing his official vest and a pack with
medications and certification papers, Jones was turned away from
visiting his son Monday morning at Forester Elementary in the Northside
ISD.
The district says that all service dogs are welcomed and that this
should not have happened.
"We understand the law," said Pascual Gonzalez, NISD spokesman.
[
See video ]
Current Health Kids Has Bunky Article
S.A. Veteran Harassed Because of Service Dog
SAN ANTONIO -- An Army veteran and current UTSA graduate student
claims she’s been discriminated at the downtown campus twice and it
relates to having a service dog.
[
See video ]
Man's Best Friend Helps Soldiers With PTSD
According to the Veteran’s Administration, 800,000
returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with
post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—and less than half will get the
help they need. But lately, these soldiers are getting a little help
from man’s best friend.
[
Read more ]
Until Tuesday Author Speaks
The
author of UNTIL TUESDAY, Luis Carlos Montalvan and his service dog
Tuesday, were in San Antonio to speak to our TADSAW in training service
dog teams! Rudy's Barbeque in Leon Springs provided the perfect
atmosphere and as always, their delicious barbeque. Each warrior in
attendance received an autographed copy of UNTIL TUESDAY!
It was a perfect South Texas afternoon. It was fun for our warriors to meet each other and of course the dogs were perfect!!!
Service Dogs Organization Now Helping Vietnam Veterans
Local Soldier Fighting PTSD
Click HERE to read the whole article about Battle Buddies.
Soldiers With PTSD Get Help From Dogs
Copyright 2011 by KSAT.com.
During
his 10-year military career Dustin Fleenor was exposed to mortar blasts,
one that broke his back and left him blind in his right eye. Fleenor ran
missions around the clock and is reluctant to recall a riot that broke
out at a POW camp. "That's why I quit sleeping because I could see these
things going on all the time," Fleenor said.
Upon returning home to his wife and four children, Fleenor was diagnosed
with severe Post-traumatic stress disorder. "It's been like she's had
five kids, me included as one of those kids, because she's had to take
care of me too," Fleenor said.
Afraid his anxiety might overtake him at any time, Fleenor couldn't go
anywhere alone. Meeting his service dog "Todd" was life changing. "He
jumped on my lap, completely was licking me all over, and was like I've
been waiting for you my whole life, where have you been," Fleenor said.
Their connection was immediate. Fleenor explains Todd has a way of
sensing his anxiety, even absorbing it, something people can't do for
him. "He backs up against me, and Todd starts getting real confused and
all of a sudden I can back up into a corner. I start petting Todd for a
couple minutes and all of a sudden it's gone," Fleenor said.
Bart Sherwood, director of "Penny's
From Heaven Foundation," said the dogs have a way of relating to the
warriors in a way people can't. "These dogs read the warriors so much
better than their human counterparts, and they don't question, it's
unconditional, it's non-judgmental," Sherwood said.
His hope is that the program doesn't just change the lives of the
soldiers, but that it also restores it.
 COURTESY ONE FOR ALL: U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jamie Koppi, with Buddy her 7- year-old pug, will take part in the Paws for Penny Fun Run. Photo: COURTESY Kelli Rawls / HC |
For a man or woman suffering from Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder, it's not a matter of taking life
one day at a time; it can come down to getting through one
minute at a time. "Our primary function is to get these guys and gals out of this hell they are in," Swendson said. Earlier this year, the organization's
efforts caught the eye of Kelli Rawls, practice manager of
Dickinson Animal Hospital & Pet Wellness Center. |
Rawls was looking for charity the hospital could support, and
Penny's From Heaven seemed like a perfect fit.
"We just wanted to do something to get our name out in the community
and at the same time give back to the community," Rawls said.
She discovered the Penny's From Heaven Foundation through its Web
site.
"I loved the fact they use therapy dogs to help our American
soldiers."
Rawls spoke with Swendson and was further impressed with the
program. "It's very unique to find someone like her who does so
much," Rawls said.
Now Dickinson Animal Hospital & Pet Wellness Center is preparing to
host a one-mile fun run to support Penny's From Heaven Foundation.
"Paws for Penny" Fun Run will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at
First United Methodist Church, 200 FM 517 W. in Dickinson.
The entry fee is $25 and one comfort item for a soldier or working
dog. Registration and a list of comfort items can be found at the
animal hospital, 1100 FM 517 Road W.
Participants in the fun run are invited to bring their pets, but all
animals must be on a leash.
Early registration continues through Oct. 11. After that,
participants will not be guaranteed a t-shirt, but registration will
remain available through the day of the run.
Nurse Sarah Purcell is among the pet hospital employees volunteering
to organize the fun run. Helping out was an easy choice, she said.
'The first thing is what the organization is doing for the veterans'
community," she said. "Plus, it promotes family time - doing
something for a good cause and doing it together."
Swendson said she's excited about Dickinson Animal Hospital & Pet
Wellness Center's efforts.
"I think it's fantastic," she said. "The support is tremendously
appreciated."
Swendson founded Penny's From Heaven Foundation as a pet therapy
organization. The foundation's namesake, a golden retriever named
Penny, worked as a therapy dog for nearly a decade.
Swendson and her team made visits throughout greater San Antonio,
including stops at hospitals and therapy providers for veterans.
Many of the warriors they wished they had a dog.
"It became clear the dogs were able to offer solace in a way that
nothing else could," Swendson said.
For those who've been visibly wounded, have been burned or have lost
ears, eyes or limbs, dogs are unfazed and unwavering in their
loyalty.
And for those suffering from PTSD, trained therapy dogs can be a
lifeline, a source of comfort and a friend who can break suffering
warriors out of their flashbacks.
Today, Penny's From Heaven continues to connect trained therapy dogs
with those who can benefit from their gentle presence.
And its team of PTSD support dogs provide support to returning
soldiers affected by PTSD and traumatic brain injury. The dogs are
selected and trained specifically for this work.
For more information, call 281-337-4535, or visit www.dickinsonanimalhospital.com .
Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs Blessed
at St. George Episcopal Church
"And I will make for them a covenant on that day
with the beasts of the field, the birds of the
heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And
I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the
land, and I will make you lie down in safety."
-Hosea 2:18 (ESV)
Saturday, October 8, 2011 we had a special service
to bless some dogs. In between snacks for humans and
treats for dogs we said some prayers, read some
scripture, sprinkled some water, and blessed each
dog. Though we were the ones offering the blessing,
I'm not so sure, but that we weren't the ones who
were blessed. You see, sometimes God turns things
around when we least expect it.
We had gathered for what looked like would be a
typical St. Francis blessing of the animals, but
these were not your everyday animals. The
participants this morning were service and therapy
dogs (and their trainers and owners) that have been
trained by a local organization called "Penny's from
Heaven."
These are dogs that have been trained to be living
blessings. Some of them go out to nursing homes and
hospitals where they minister to the sick, the
hurting, and the lonely. Some of them go out to
schools and listen to children read, giving their
undivided attention. And some of them go to live
with wounded veterans (inside and out) returning
from war bringing unconditional love, peace, and
protection. All of them are trained to meet the
special needs of those they go out to visit.
And so we gathered and offered our prayers, and God
poured out His blessing...in the laying on of hands
and paws alike.
Uvalde Knitters
Jessica Chavez|Leader-News
Susan Vipond (right), facility coordinator for Penny’s From Heaven Foundation in San Antonio, accepts approximately 20 donated Hero Hugs knitted throws from the Uvalde Knitters last Thursday afternoon at the Uvalde Adult Activity Center. Also included in the photo is Daisy Duke, a therapy dog for wounded soldiers. The throws will be donated to the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility at Wilford Hall Hospital, Lackland Air Force Base.
Service Dogs Help Warriors Coping With PTSD
San Antonio Express News article about warriors, service dogs, and the work that Penny's From Heaven Foundation and Train A Dog - Save A Warrior are doing.
Gunny and Jeramiah
COL
DANNY MCKNIGHT, in charge of the Somalian mission
which was the basis for the book and the movie,
BLACKHAWK DOWN, visits with GUNNY and JEREMIAH,
TADSAW's Tennessee Service Dog Team in Panama City
Beach, FL at a gathering for wounded warriors.
Gunny, it seems, will indeed make it to the steps of
the White House. We have faith!
Bart Sherwood meets Best Selling Author Luis Carlos Montalvan
TADSAW Program Director, Bart Sherwood, meet NY Times Best Selling Author and wounded warrior, Luis Carlos Montalvan and his service dog, at a book signing in Houston for Montalvan's book, UNTIL TUESDAY!
National Assistance Dog Week - Video
In honor of National Assistance Dog Week, FOX 29 reached out to TADSAW for a beautiful success story. A wounded warrior with PTSD found his 'battle buddy' in a dog named Gunny! This segment will give you just a small idea of how valuable these TADSAW Service Dogs can be!
Meeting With H. Ross Perot
Mr. H. Ross Perot honored PFHF/TADSAW's Patsy Swendson and Bart Sherwood with a private tour of his offices outside of Dallas. They presented the TADSAW project to Mr. Perot for potential funding.
Dogs Chase Nightmares Of War Away
Jo Hanna Schaffer's dog is more than a best friend.
The 67-year-old veteran, a former Army medic, suffers from
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and three years ago, she decided
to get a service dog, a Chihuahua named Cody. Cody barks if someone is
approaching from behind and cuddles with her when she is depressed.
"I never took a pill for PTSD that did as much for me as Cody has done,"
says the Billerica, Massachusetts, resident, who no longer takes
medication for the disorder.
Schaffer is one of a growing number of veterans with PTSD who are
turning to an alternative therapy: psychiatric service dogs.
Like guide dogs for the blind, psychiatric service dogs aid people with
mental illnesses, from anxiety disorder to bipolar disorder to PTSD. The
dogs are trained to know when their owners are depressed or having a
panic attack, for example, and the animals might calm them down by
curling up in their lap or giving a nudge.
Man's and Woman's Best Friend
When
Col. Kim Olson (Ret.) became involved with Grace After Fire, the goal of
the organization was to be a bridge between soldiers who served in the
military and their transition back into civilian life.
Sometimes that's easier said than done.
But one of the resources Olson has heard about is the Penny's From
Heaven Foundation, which provides soldiers suffering from Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) with therapy dogs to help them cope.
Called TADSAW (Train A Dog, Save A Warrior), co-chair project director
Patsy Swendson said the idea for using dogs for in-home therapy came
after she received a phone call one morning.
"It was a particularly busy morning and all I heard was, 'I need help,'"
Swendson said. "It was a soldier who was living in the woods in
Pennsylvania in a cabin and was terrified to leave it because he had
acute PTSD. He said the only thing that saves him, literally, is his
little terrier dog Danny. He said he keeps him level.
[
Read the whole story ]
Pups Helps Soldiers Relieve Stress
Sitting
on the lawn under a shady tree and getting attention and affection from
groups of Soldiers probably isn’t the kind of future Mocha saw for
herself a few years ago when she was sitting in a shelter, abandoned
after her breeding days were over.
Mocha is a pit bull and her veterinarians said from the looks of her
that she had been bred repeatedly in her younger years. Due to the
overwhelmingly negative perspective on the breed, Mocha might have not
had a chance for a home and a family if it hadn’t been for Lydia Zaidman,
who gave her a chance.
After bringing Mocha home and getting to know her, Zaidman knew the dog had a bright future as a therapy pet, but it would take some training. Today, Mocha visits schools, hospitals and other locations interested in pet therapy through the Divine Canine program, based in Austin, which emphasizes the natural healing power of dogs. “We want to support the community and be helpful to other human beings,” Zaidman said of her and Mocha’s mission.
How Dogs Help Veterans Cope
with PTSD -
Video
Struggling with post-traumatic stress, veteran David Sharpe says he
found a dog at a shelter that saved his life. Now, with a group called
P2V, he pairs other vets with rescued pets.
Veterans are Healed Via Therapy Dogs
Man's best friend helps the
mind, body and spirit
Updated: Thursday, 11 Nov 2010, 11:13 PM CST
Published : Thursday, 11 Nov 2010, 6:12 PM CST
David Scott
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) - Some come home from the war with a
wounded body. Others, a wounded mind, or wounded spirit. They are
healing now with the help of man's best friend.
The Penny's From Heaven Foundation provides special training for
veterans dogs, with its " Train a Dog, Save a Warrior " program.
Sgt. A.J. Schill (Ret.) of Round Rock suffered spinal injuries in Iraq.
Sgt. Andrew Pastusic of San Antonio suffered brain injuries there. Both
men suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Both own dogs trained by
Patsy Swendson, founder of Penny's From Heaven.
Penny refers to Patsy's own beloved rehabilitation dog, a Golden
Retriever.
"I went through a bad period. I needed to get out of the depression I
was in so I would take Penny to visit patients and while I was with
them, it helped heal me," she recalled.
Now Patsy is helping to heal sergeants Schill and Pastusic, among
others.
Schill explained his PTSD symptoms.
"Staying at home and isolating myself, not only does it feed my
depression, it doesn't help me," Schill said. "It's a Catch-22. if I
stay in my house and isolate myself it gets worse and if I go outside, I
risk panic attacks."
"When I got back things just weren't the same the way they were before I
left," Pastusic said. "My relationship with the family, I did everything
I could to distance myself, I didn't want them feeling the way I did."
"Train a Dog, Save a Warrior" teaches the animals to respond to the
veterans, to provide love, support and security, and also to perform
tasks tailored to that soldier's needs.
Schill talked about his German Shepherd, Kiowa.
"She provides me comfort. I want to have an excuse to get out and do
something, be responsible for something," he said.
Pastusic's dog is a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Cocoa.
"In the four months I've been doing this I'm a completely changed man,"
Pastusic said. "I actually give a crap about life now, because I've got
something that relies on me. Going through the training built confidence
in me. I saw how she was performing so that steps up my game. She's my
best friend, and my wife knows it, ha."
The families of the soldiers see a difference.
"I'm very hopeful," said Christa Schill, "because my husband is a
wonderful person. He's been through a lot of emotions and things. I want
my husband back."
The Penny's From Heaven Foundation is based in San Antonio, but services
veterans across central Texas, such as at the Stay N Play Pet Ranch in
Dripping Springs.
Patsy Swendson is in talks about financial help from Ross Perot and
rocker Ted Nugent. Swendson believes she could take her program national
and train dogs for 18,000 soldiers during the next two years.
"I can't say that what we do is going to cure them, I can say I have
seen them endlessly improve dramatically," Swendson said. "In the rehab
center I met a wounded warrior back from Iraq and that turned my life
around. I found that my mission in life was to do this."