Disabled Veterans National

Foundation & Patriot PAWS

A partnership to give man’s best friend to disabled veterans and

provide a better quality of life.

DVNF & Patriot PAWSDisabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) and Patriot PAWS are teaming up to give veterans with mental and/or physical disabilities a chance at a much better quality of life.

DVNF will raise $50,000 for Patriot PAWS so that they can continue the outstanding work they do to train service dogs and provide them to veterans in need at no cost.

Service Dogs

“…for the first time, I forgot to be angry.”

“…he’s the best medicine of all.”

“…I feel safe and more free than I have in years.”

“…he has given me a reason for being.”

“…now I have better dreams.”

Service Dogs

When the battle is over, for some, it has only just begun.

Some studies indicate that roughly 20% of OIF/OEF

veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder

(PTSD) and/or depression.

http://www.veteransandptsd.com/PTSD-statistics.html

Approximately 260,000 veterans of OIF/OEF have also

been diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

The Science of Service

DogsOne scientific study showed that service dogs assist in the

brain’s production of oxytocin, also known as the “bonding

hormone.”1

Oxytocin is a naturally occurring chemical produced by the

hypothalamus that has proven to be a major component in

improving symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress.

There have also been findings from brain scans that service

dogs increased peripheral oxytocin levels in the body. Just the

very presence of the dog can ease the symptoms of an

unsettled mind.

1. The United States Army Medical Department Journal. Canine-Assisted Therapy in

Military Medicine. 2012. Available at: www.cs.amedd.army.mil/FileDownload-

public.aspxdocid=73e8d2aa-1a2a-467d-b6e3-e73652da8622.

The Science of Service

DogsIn another study that focused more on the first-hand

experiences of individuals with PTSD, they found that 82

percent of patients who were assigned a service dog had a

decrease in their symptoms.2

In addition, 40 percent of patients actually had a decrease in

the amount of medication they were taking.

As for patients with severe physical disabilities who have been

reliant upon family and friends for assistance, it was found that

on average, individuals with service dogs required an

average of 4.3 hours less each week from outside help.

2. Borchard, T. (2011). A Dog Named Slugger: How Service Dogs Improve the Lives

of Many. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 10, 2015, from

http://psychcentral.com/lib/a-dog-named-slugger-how-service-dogs-improve-the-

lives-of-many/0007602

How Service Dogs HelpFor veterans with PTSD, service

dogs have a tremendous positive

impact. These dogs offer a

comforting presence and allow

veterans to feel more at ease in

surroundings they find

uncomfortable.

For veterans suffering from

mobility limitations, pain, or any

other type of disability, service

dogs can truly be life saving.

What Do Service Dogs Do?

Mobility service dogs are trained to perform many services including:

Get help in emergencies

Pick up and retrieve items

Open and close doors and cabinets

Pull wheelchairs

Provide bracing to stand, walk, and sit down

Help with chores, such as laundry

Take shoes and socks off

What Do Service Dogs Do?

Post-traumatic stress service dogs are trained to mitigate symptoms such as:

Nightmares

Flashbacks

Anxiety

Depression

Sleep disturbances

Substance abuse

Difficulty with relationships

Keith Campbell & “Star”

Army Staff Sergeant Keith Campbell served two tours in

Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and was wounded by an IED

on his second tour in Iraq. He suffers from post-

concussive syndrome, migraines, a herniated disc in his

back, and PTS.

In March 2012, Campbell received Star, a female yellow

Lab donated as a puppy to Patriot PAWS by the Order of

the Eastern Star.

Keith Campbell & “Star”

Charles Trask & “Summit”

Charles Trask & “Summit”

Charles Trask, a U.S. Navy veteran who volunteered to serve in-

country in Vietnam in 1968, left the service physically unharmed

and went on to become a Salvation Army minister.

Thirty-seven years later, he’s retired, diagnosed with delayed-

onset PTS and 100 percent disabled. Charles had become a

recluse, unable to deal with anyone or anything, including his

wife Toni, until receiving Summit in May 2011.

“Summit has given me a reason for being,” Trask says. When

Trask suffers from a flashback, Summit senses it and nuzzles

him to redirect his attention to her, and when he has a

nightmare, she licks his face to wake him up. Trask uses a cane

to walk, so Summit gets the phone for him, picks up dropped

items, carries notes to Toni, and performs many other tasks to

make his life easier.

Jason North & “Parole”

Army Staff Sergeant Jason North of Killeen, TX, suffers from epileptic seizures brought on by a traumatic brain injury he received on October 22, 2008, during his second tour in Iraq.

When the Humvee he was riding in fell into a pit trap after being lured to it by several Iraqis on horseback, Jason was slammed into both a 50-caliber machine gun in front of him and a 50-caliber ammo can behind him leaving him with a fractured face and broken vertebra and his first seizure.

Jason North & “Parole”

He must now take seizure medication daily and is 100% disabled. Jason depended upon his wife and even his young daughter at times to help him, so when he found Patriot PAWS on the internet, he decided to apply.

In March, 2012, Jason received Parole, a male yellow Lab. Now when Jason has a seizure, Parole alerts Jason’s wife and keeps Jason calm, something Jason no longer has to burden his daughter with.

Parole also helps out with many everyday chores and makes Jason’s life easier. According to Jason, “Parole has done so much for us,” and when asked to sum up Parole in one word, Jason responded, “Incredible!”

Connie Rendon and “Blaze”Connie, an Army Reservist, suffered major injuries in Iraq in 2004, when her Humvee drove over an IED. She had one hand severed and the other broken, shrapnel lodged in her shoulder, and sever facial wounds.

She’s had a long and agonizing road to recovery, having over 40 surgeries.

Connie now has nerve damage in her legs, sleep disorder, PTSD, TBI, back pain and severe headaches.

Connie Rendon and “Blaze”

Before Connie received Blaze, she never left the house

alone except to go to work.

Her right hand is now immobile, and she remains weak,

so opening doors is difficult. In addition, the severity of her

PTSD makes it hard to be around other people.

In addition to simple tasks like opening doors, Blaze has

helped Connie recover. They walk together, helping

Connie regain strength, as well as the courage to face

people.

Why Your Support Matters

Service dogs are the only means to a seemingly normal

life for so many veterans.

Sadly, there is a long waiting list for these loyal

companions, and the VA does not offer a program to

provide veterans with service dogs.

Patriot PAWS depends upon organizations like DVNF to

accomplish their mission of placing disabled veterans with

a service dog to make their lives better.

They Gave So Much For Our

Freedoms...

Now, it is time for us to give back, and help them make the most of life.

With your gift of $25, $50, $100, or even $500, you canempower a veteran, and help to give them a chance to feel whole again!

Your support will also give DVNF a chance to continue to provide future opportunities for great organizations like Patriot PAWS.

Visit this page, and give these heroes the support they need!

Now, We Can Give Back to

Them

Visit this page, and give these

heroes the support they need!

You Can’t Put A Price On A

Best Friend…