PLEASE Read The Following.. Veteran Dogs Suffering from PTSD………… This is an extract from the US Military War Dogs Association Newsletter by Joe Wlikes. We are grateful this holiday season for the thousands of men and women who served in Iraq returning home after the declaration of the end of the war. What may have gone unnoticed is that hundreds of canine service members are also returning. Like their human counterparts, the dogs of war are also undergoing rehabilitation for their scars. While having risked their own lives and bearing witness to the casualties of war, many of the returning dogs have been diagnosed and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The New York Times recently reported on the sacrifice of these four-legged soldiers and their recovery. Dogs have been increasingly used in military conflicts. Because of their sensitive noses, they have become the best line of defense against improvised explosive devices (IED’s), as most of these roadside bombs use chemical explosives, unfound by metal detectors, the previous standard in bomb detection. Special forces dogs such as the ones that contributed to the killing of Osama Bin Laden have also become critical operational elements. Whether the dogs have been used in specialized operations or as traditional guard dogs, they have been subjected to the same traumatic events as any soldier and bear the emotional scars upon returning home from their mission. Unlike humans, they can’t speak to what …
