Survivor’s Saviors
Service Dog Program for Servicemembers & Veterans
Working with service dogs and their special owners almost sneaks up on you. You’ve heard of them, you’ve probably seen them. But once you get to know a pair of them, the dynamics between a servicemember or veteran and their dog is an experience that will never leave you.
Survivors’ Saviors, our service dog program within Boots Across America, is here to help servicemembers and veterans because every dog we place creates its own special story. Each one propels us on to the next dog partnership story that needs telling.
There are veterans out there right now, just waiting for their lives to be enriched with their new dogs. Many of them don’t even realize they need a dog.
Chris was the first veteran we worked with as our dog program began. He sent me his story and a picture from the time of his entrance into the Marines, some years earlier. That baby-faced Marine had since been all over the place, seeing things that no one ever should, as he and his Brothers fought for our freedom. Growing up near Fort Knox KY and spending 37 years as a military wife had never made military life so real to me as that young Marine’s face.
Chris had recently left the Marines, exiting with PTSD and his deceased Battle Buddy’s dog, “Lilly Girl.” PTSD figured prominently in his divorce. The loss of his family and military transition soon found him less and less willing to leave home, even for his job. PTSD has no easy fix. A service dog won’t fix it either, but it helps make life much more tolerable while other help can be sought. It gives them a purpose each day. Chris had Lilly Girl.
Our service dog program was able to get Lilly Girl trained up to be Chris’ service dog so she could accompany him wherever he went, and it didn’t take long to see a difference in Chris. Lilly Girl provided grounding in overwhelming public spaces and she was a companion he could always rely on.
We typically train dogs for two or three tasks and for Chris, they were:
- Anxiety interrupt
- “Got Your Six”
Sometimes “mobility assist” (balance) is needed, which can be trained once a dog has reached bone and strength maturity at age two.
Through “anxiety interrupt,” Lilly Girl noticed and distracted Chris whenever she saw he was displaying signs of anxiety. It’s hard to ignore a devoted dog’s kisses and persistent paw pats, telling you it’s time to change thought patterns or activities and find a different focus.
With “Got Your Six” training, whenever Chris was in public, Lilly Girl kept an eye on things behind him. If he stopped to look at something in a store or someone stopped him to talk, Lilly Girl knew to sit facing opposite from Chris and to nudge him if anyone approached too closely.
Chris blossomed with new-found freedom and confidence to go out in public again with relative ease. He has his life back with a job promotion and spending time with friends again.
After our experience with Chris and Lilly Girl, other veterans came along who “needed a dog yesterday.” The right trusted partners came along to make these connections possible. We can’t help every veteran who needs a service dog, but we can surely make a difference in the lives of the ones we do.
One of our best current supporters is the team at Seagrave Mortgage in Cookeville TN. They hit the ground running with fundraisers to sponsor their first service dog. That event turned into Seagrave Mortgage placing three more service dogs and they haven’t stopped their giving streak. I’ve never seen groups have so much fun at fundraisers! As Patty Seagrave says, “We can’t outgive the need!”
Our efforts so far couldn’t have been achieved without the encouragement and expert training experiences we’ve had from Christie and her team at ThunderHawk Canines, also in Cookeville TN. After helping us place several dogs, Christie says she’s “incredibly grateful for the opportunity to help!”
We are incredibly grateful for the amazing teams that come together to raise money to place dogs where they are needed. We are incredibly grateful for the donors and supporters who make it possible for us all to be a part of such a humbling program. We are all links in this very important chain.
One of our favorite veterans falls into multiple categories: Frank of Pikeville TN. Frank was a K9 handler back in his Vietnam days. He received Diesel, his sweet, vivacious Doberman, from the Seagrave/ThunderHawk team and before long he texted me, “You have no idea what this dog means to me!” Frank and his wife continue to train Diesel with helpful tasks, including retrieving Frank’s phone.
There is a lot of joy in Frank’s voice these days. He and Diesel are spotted all over town, all over the county! Frank and Diesel have become our unofficial “Service Dog Ambassadors” and they never stop raising funds for the next dog and deserving veteran. They’ve enlisted the help of friends and family and even their local American Legion Post! We’re incredibly grateful to all who contribute along this worthwhile journey.
Boots Across America has had me crisscross this nation many times in support of our military in various ways. People everywhere ask me why I do this. It’s simple. Once you’ve heard their stories, you can’t NOT do it!
Boots Across America is a nonprofit 501©3. If you are so inclined, please donate or encourage your group or workplace. Mention us to companies you know who may be looking to make a worthy tax-deductible contribution. We all, and our next veteran, will be grateful!
For more information, contact:
Beverly Frase, National Director
Boots Across America
Beverly@BootsAcrossAmerica.org
(502) 475-5544