Paws for Purple Hearts is Saving Veterans’ Lives

Tim Bean

8/22/2012

While I already posted an article today, I wanted to sort of tone things down a little bit with something that should actually make us feel good.  Yes, despite all of the partisan rancor, accusations, denials, and omissions, there are still those out there who are trying to do good things, and I wanted to highlight one of those organizations; enjoy.

Dogs, “man’s best friend;” anyone who has ever had a dog, whether as a kid, or currently, know that the saying, come cliché is true.  Dogs are almost instinctively loyal companions to their human friends.  I remember as a child having dogs in our family, one of which was decidedly “my” dog.  She was always there with me, and for me.  For all of you dog owners out there, how many times have you had a bad day, and come home to that very happy to see you pal wagging its tail and you almost instantly feel better?  How many times have you talked to your four legged companion about that bad day and they just sit there looking at you with their loyal eyes “listening” to you, and the look on their face makes you believe that they understand everything that you are saying, as well as looking like if they could talk, they would be saying, “it’s okay, I’m here for you.”  You almost instantly feel better, don’t you?

Well, there is an organization which recognizes the therapeutic nature our canine friends have and they are using that knowledge to help our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  The organization is called, “Paws for Purple Hearts,” their mission is to provide faithful companions for those suffering from PTSD to not just serve as those ever faithful pals, but for the soldiers to train them too, which allows the veterans to restore a feeling of control in their lives.

The results so far have been quite positive, with many veterans who have participated in the program crediting the dogs with saving their lives.  Reading about this organization, and this article describing one of the program’s success stories, makes me want to get another dog in my life, because we all could use another friend, couldn’t we?