Paws that Protect
Canadian Legacy Project proudly supports PTSD service dog charities across Canada. “Paws that Protect,” covers some of the veterinarian and dog food expenses for service dogs during the training process and through to the Veteran once they have their service dog. This financial assistance allows our charitable partners to focus on running their organizations, training these unsung heroes, and supporting those who have served Canada. Service dogs are selected for their awareness and positive response to human emotions like stress, anxiety, and fear.
Service Dogs Provide Critical Support for Veterans with PTSD
- Reduce Suicidal Thoughts: Service dogs help alleviate the symptoms of depression, which in turn reduces suicidal thoughts and prevents suicide.
- Mitigate Anxiety and Disrupt Anxiety Behaviors: Psychiatric service dogs are trained to recognize signs of anxiety in their handlers and perform specific tasks to disrupt anxiety-related behaviors.
- Interrupt Night Terrors: Service dogs can detect the signs of a night terror occurring and intervene to interrupt the episode.
- Perform Room Searches and Safety Checks: Veterans with PTSD often experience hypervigilance, an extreme sensitivity to their surroundings and a persistent sense of lurking danger. Service dogs can perform room searches and safety checks to help ease this symptom.
- Assist with Dissociation: Service dogs can help ground Veterans experiencing dissociative episodes, which can manifest as flashbacks, a disconnection from self, or a detachment from reality.
- Retrieve Medication and Provide Medication Reminders: Service dogs are trained to retrieve medications for their handlers and to remind them when it is time to take their prescriptions.
While commonly referred to as PTSD service dogs, Canadian Legacy Project is a firm believer that Post Traumatic Stress is NOT a disorder and is a brain injury.
