The Freedom Dogs Program teams Specialty sen/ice dogs are a non-judg-wounded warriors with specialty ser- mental source of love and companion-vice dogs on a short term, intermittent ship,or permanent basis.

F r e e d o mB Y S H A R O N P F L A U M E R

Photos courtesy of Freedom Dogs

Melissa Ramirez was a NavyCorpsman, who served onthe front l ines as a Medic in

a S h o c k Tr a u m a P l a t o o n ."We did damage control on the

wounded before they were sent on toa higher echelon of care," she says.

After three tours of duty, Ramirezwas diagnosed with Post TraumaticStress Disorder (PTSD). Eighteenmonths ago, a specialty service dognamed Gunner was placed withh e r. T h e b l a c k L a b r a d o r R e t r i e v e r i strained to assist Ramirez in a varietyof ways, which include helping hercope with PTSD.

"When I first got Gunner, I wastaking a lot of medications that

made it difficult for me to wake up inthe morning," she says. "He woke meby barking and pawing me. He kept atit until I got out of bed."

The 5-year-old lab also interruptsthe flashbacks that Ramirez experie n c e s . A fl a s h b a c k o c c u r s w h e n a nindividual mentally relives a traumaticevent to the point where it seems as ifit's actually happening again.

"If 1 start having a flashback, Gunn e r c o m e s o v e r a n d s t a n d s i n f r o n t o fme," she says. "Then, he barks andpaws me until I pay attention to him.That interrupts my train of thought,w h i c h e n a b l e s m e t o r e a s s e s s t h e

anxiety I'm feeling and calm myselfd o w n . "

Specialty service dog, Andy, accompanies aMarine during a trip to the bank.

HEROESFORHEROESA R e a s o n To G o O nHaving a specialty service dog hasenabled Ramirez to do a lot of thingsshe was unable to do when she firstreturned from active duty.

"Before I got Gunner, 1 stayed inmy room most of the time. It was difficult for me to do the things otherpeople take for granted like go to thegrocery store," she said.

With Gunner at her side. Ramirezis able to run all of her errands and nolonger must depend on other peopleto do them for her. Gunner has helpedher open up and become more socialas we l l .

"I didn't want to talk to anyoneC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 5 7

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Hanging out in pubiic with a specialtyservice dog helps restore a woundedwarr ior 's confidence.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72before I got Gunner. Now,when people come up to meand ask questions about him,I'm happy to tell them aboutthe important role played byspecialty service dogs," shesays .

The benefits Ramirez derived from having a specialtyservice dog don't end there.Because of Gunner, she wasable to return to school ful l-time and currently is completing the requirements to earn abachelor's degree in InteriorDesign. Although she knowsshe'll never be the same person she was before, thanks toGunner, she has hope that oneday most of the trauma sheexperienced can be left behindon the battlefield and she willbe able to lead a more normall i fe .

"Things are still difficultfor me attimes because there'sno instant fix that makes everything okay," Ramirez says."But I wouldn't be able to dothe things I'm doing todaywithout Gunner. He gave memy life back. He gave me apurpose and a reason to goo n , "

A specialty service dog accompanies aMarine to the ceremony where he wasawarded a Purple Heart.

Freedom DogsGunner was placed with Ramirezby Freedom Dogs, a 50l(c)3nonprofit organization in SanDiego, CA. It trains specialtyservice dogs to assist woundedwarriors by helping them learnto cope with PTSD, TraumaticBrain Injury (TBI), or other life-altering conditions and injuries.The organization accomplishesthis task by pairing them witha specialty service dog and itstrainer on a short term, intermittent or, if need be, permanentb a s i s .

"Our goal is to assistwounded war r io rs in the i r recovery by helping them reintegrate into society as a wholementally, physically and socially," Head Dog Trainer Beth Russell says. She also is the organization's founder and a formercritical care nurse at the Surgi-cal/lCU Trauma Unit at the University of California, San DiegoM e d i c a l C e n t e r .

The Freedom Dogs Programhas proven to be highly successful. So much so, there havebeen no suicides by the youngmen and women, who partlci-CONTINUED ON PAGE 258

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A wounded warrior enjoys a game of miniature golf, while accompanied by a specialtyservice dog.

A wounded warrior was able to enjoy anevening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegasthanks to the Freedom Dogs Program.

Freedom HEps=DogsHffiOEs

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 5 7

pate in it, despite the fact many ofthem are at high risl<. The organization began in 2006 with the goalof assisting returning warriors withmobility Issues by providing themwith specialty trained service dogs.However, it soon became apparentthere was an even greater need forassistance with less visible disabilities such as PTSD and TBI.

In 2008 , Russe l l submi t ted aprogram proposal to the MarineCorps Commandant at Camp Pendleton in CA. He was so intrigued bythe concept; he ordered a six-monthpilot study to test its effectiveness.The results of the pilot study so exceeded expectations in terms of thechange in the participants* level ofself-esteem and self-efficacy, theCommandant asked that the program be continued.

A Unique ApproachTypically, service dog schools placeeach dog they train with one clienton a permanent basis. The FreedomDogs Program is unique in that itonly places service dogs on a permanent basis with about 15% of itsclients. After completing the program, those remaining are rehabilitated to the extent they're capable ofreturning to active duty, or resumingcivilian life without the assistance ofa service dog.

"When a wounded warrior joinsour program, there is no immediate expectation that a dog will beplaced with him or her on a permanent basis," Russell says. "That'sbecause immediately placing a service dog with someone dealing withPTSD. for example, isn't necessarilya good idea. The care and handlingof a service dog can be very stressfulfor individuals having difficulty justcaring for themselves. The addedresponsibility can be so stressful, itsets back their progress."

Instead of having a dog immediately placed with them on a permanent basis, wounded warriors first

progress through the multistepFreedom Dogs Program. Initially, this involves meeting witha dog and trainer team. Next, itprogresses to attending weeklysessions where they learn howto train, handle and care for aspecialty service dog. From thispoint they move on to going outin public accompanied by a dogand trainer team whenever theyattend appointments, sportingevents, family-related activities,e t c .

"This is key to the rehabilitation process because most oft h e s e m e n a n d w o m e n n e v e rleave their house or apartment,"Russell says. "That only intensifies their sense of isolation andfurther slows their progress."

During the final phase of theFreedom Dogs Program, independence is stressed, i.e., a dogis allowed to accompany a serviceman or woman without atrainer and is returned at the endof the scheduled appointment,event or activity.

The BenefitsFreedom Dogs Program participants are referred to the organization by the medical care prov iders a t the Wounded Warr io rBattalion Center at Camp Pendl e t o n .

"Often, we are sent the men

A wounded warrior works on eyecontact with three dogs in training.

and women who aren't responding to traditional methods of rehabilitation or treatment. Theymay have anger issues or theirrelationships with family members aren't progressing as well asthey should be. A large percentage of them are at risk for suicide," Russell says.

Specialty service dogs makeit possible for these woundedwarriors to do things they werepreviously incapable of doing.

"With a Freedom Dog attheir side, they're able to attendtheir child's programs at school,sporting events, or even a ceremony where they're presentedan award," Russell says. "Beforeour program, many had suchhigh level anxiety it kept themfrom attending the ceremonywhere they were awarded a Purple Heart."

Longer, MoreComprex TrainingOther kinds of service dogs are

trained to perform specific tasksrelated to assisting a person witha particular disability such ashearing loss, blindness, epilepsy,e t c .

"Each of our specialty service dogs is trained to workwith multiple servicemen andwomen, who may have similaror differing disabilities. As a result. our dogs must be trainedto perform assistive behaviorsrelated to multiple disabilities,in terms of physical disabilities,they are trained to assist by retrieving objects for wheelchair-b o u n d w o u n d e d w a r r i o r s . F o rthose who have trouble risingto a standing position, the dogsare trained to 'brace' so warriorscan steady themselves by holding onto the dog as they standup. Those who have balance issues hold onto the dog's harnesswhile walking to prevent falls,"Russell says.

Barr ier BehaviorThe dogs also are trained toassist with psychological disabi l i t ies. Due to the t rauma orinjury they experienced, manyC O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 5 9

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"Some dogs have thenatural aptitude tobecome a successful

specialty service dog,but most are bet ter

suited to being a pet."wounded warriors have high levelanxiety as already mentioned. Often, that makes them extremely sensitive to other people entering theirpersonal space. As a result, theyhave trouble interacting with peoplewhen approached. To help alleviatethis issue, specialty service dogs aretrained to act as a buffer.

"The dog creatcs a barrier between the wounded warrior and theother person by unobtrusively stepping between him and them," Russell says. "If the approaching personkeeps coming, the dog moves towardhim and thereby increases the distance between the two."

F lashbacksThe dogs arc trained to assist

those, who experience flashbacksrelated to PTSD, by detecting whenthey occur or are about to. (The dogsdetect the onset of a flashback by noticing changes in the wounded warrior's perspiration and respirationrates, etc.) The dogs prevent or stopflashbacks by redirecting the wounded warrior's thoughts, i.e., they makephysical contact with him or interrupt the flashback in some other way."For example, we train our dogsto turn the lights off and on at nightin response to the wounded warrior's behavior. If it's time to go tobed, the dog waits until he is in bedand doing pretty well before it turnsthe lights off. Then, the dog jumpsinto bed and cuddles up with him. ifthe dog senses he's nearing the pointwhere he might have a flashback inthe middle of night, it jumps off ofthe bed and turns the lights back on.Once he quiets down and goes backto sleep, the dog turns the lights offagain," Russell says.

Turning on the lights enables thewounded warrior to see who andwhat is in the room, which effectivelystops the flashback. The reassuringpresence of the dog also helps enablehim to process the experience; then,relax and go back to sleep.

A Freedom Dogs Program trainer and aspecialty service dog accompanies theMarine, with whom they were teamed, tothe Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

Melissa Ramirez with her family and Gunner, her specialty service dog.

While the dogs can be cuedto perform all of the behaviors described above, for the most part,they do them automatically whencircumstances indicate they areneeded. Thus specialty servicedogs must be problem soivers whothink on their feet and adjust theirbehavior accordingly in order to as

sist different individuals with different physical or psychologicaldisabilities. That makes trainingthem more complex and time-consuming than training otherkinds of service dogs. That, inturn, means it's more expensive,i.e., the estimated cost to train aspecialty service dog is $50,000.

PuppiesFreedom Dogs primarily trainsLabrador Retriever puppies, mostof which are donated to the organization by breeders or sold to itat a reduced cost.

"Although we are always inneed of dogs to train, we havespecific temperament and healthcriterion which must be met before we accept puppies," Russellsays. "Because it takes 2-1/2years to train a specialty servicedog, we don't accept dogs thatmight not have what it takes temperamentally or that might develop health problems which forcethem to retire prematurely."

While the Freedom Dogs Program accepts puppy donationsfrom breeders across the country. one of its representatives firsttravels to their kennels to evaluatetheir puppies for the necessaryc h a r a c t e r i s t i c s .

According to Russell, thereare many wounded warriors whowant to buy their own dog andtrain it to be their specialty service dog.

"In those instances, I remindthem that people have differentabilities and so do dogs." shesays. "Some dogs have the natural aptitude to become a successful specialty service dog, but mostare better suited to being a pet."

Freedom Dogs accepts puppies at 8-weeks of age. Unlike other service dog schools, itdoesn't have a volunteer networkof puppy raisers, who teach puppies basic commands and socialize them during their first yearof life. Instead, each puppy isplaced with a Senior Trainer whoimmediately begins teaching itthe foundation behaviors of specialty service dog work.

Puppies arc trained with pos-CONTINUED ON PAGE 266

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FreedomH EROES A Helping Paw and a Helping HandDogs FOR

HEROESC O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 2 5 9

itive reinforcement and the principles ofoperant conditioning using a clicker. As aresult, the dogs learn that training is fun,which later translates to working is fun.

"The dogs think they're having a partywhen they're working with our clients because we train them to enjoy what they'redoing," Russell says. "Dogs that don't enjoyworking are placed in a good pet home."

Six months ago, a 4-year-old specialty service dog named Loganwas placed with Carlos Cruz. The Marine Sgt. was referred tothe Freedom Dogs Program after being released from a mentalhealth unit where he was an inpatient being treated for depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Loganis trained to do specific behaviors that help Cruz deal with thesei s s u e s .

"If I'm having an anxiety attack, Logan is trained to come overand touch me or bump me," Cruz says. "Sometimes when I haveanxiety and repeatedly tell myself to calm down, it only makes itworse. But when Logan bumps me, it helps ground me becauseIt takes my mind off of what I'm feeling and forces me to thinka b o u t h i m . "

A t N o C o s tAlthough specialty service dogs are moreexpensive to train, the Freedom Dogs Program is offered to military personnel at nocost. Thus the organization's continuedoperation is completely dependent uponc h a r i t a b l e d o n a t i o n s .

Currently, it provides assistance towounded warriors on the West Coast only.Ultimately, Russell hopes to serve returningserv icemen and woman nat ionwide. Yourfinancial contribution can help make thata reality. For more information about theprogram or to learn how to make a financial contribution or donate a puppy, visithttp://www.frcedomdogs.org/donate.html.

When out in public, Cruz often feels anxious If someone approaches him. In these instances, Logan Is trainedcreate a boundary.

"Logan steps between me andthe other person to create ab a r r i e r . H e d o e s t h e s a m e

thing if someone walks up tome from behind. For example,he steps between me and theperson behind me when I'mwaiting in line at the checkoutcounter at the grocery store. Idon't have to tell him to do it.He just does it automatically." Marine Sgt. Carlos Cruz with

Logan, fits specialty service dogBecause the yellow lab can bestandoffish, Logan was not aneasy dog to train for specialty service dog work according to thevolunteer trainers at the Freedom Dogs Program.

"Logan wasn't very interested in the trainers or the other peoplehe was paired with," Cruz says. "But when I came along, it waslike he chose me. We have a very strong bond and I can talk toh i m . "

While Logan's placement with Cruz has been proven key in thewounded warrior's recovery, the trainers and volunteers at theFreedom Dogs Program played an important role as well.

"It starts out as a program but soon everyone involved in it becomes your friend. They're always there to help If I need something," (Freedom Dogs' volunteer trainers play a pivotal role Inthe rehabilitation process because they develop close relationships with the wounded warriors with whom they're teamed. Assuch, they become a non judgmental source with whom theseyoung men and women may confide.

Trainers not only must have extensive dog training experiencebut also receive instruction in how to work with those who havePTSD, TBI, etc. To that end, they work closely with the medicalproviders at the Wounded Warrior Battalion Center. Like puppies, the organization is always in need of them.)

O u r W o u n d e dW a r r i o r s

Since 9/11, more than 5 millionAmericans served in the United States

Armed Forces. Of them, 50% weredeployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hundreds of thousands of theseservicemen and women have since

returned to the United States. Tragically,a U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs

Center for Military Health Policy Researchstudy found that 13.8%s of them havePost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),while 40% of ail Marines return with

a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or PTSDaccording to the United States Marine

Corps. Because these brave young menand women cannot leave the injuries

or trauma they suffered behind on thebattlefield, many find adjusting to civilianlife so difficult they commit suicide. Thesuicide rate among active duty personnel

is one serviceman per day.

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