Sit, stay, serve

New nonprofit raises hope, joy in service dogs

Richard Ellett, a veteran with PTSD, sits in his front room with Tiger, the service dog he received in November. The service dog was given to Ellett by Soldier ON. The new nonprofit organization places puppies with puppy-raisers for one year to be trained as service dogs, then gives the dogs to veterans with PTSD.
Richard Ellett, a veteran with PTSD, sits in his front room with Tiger, the service dog he received in November. The service dog was given to Ellett by Soldier ON. The new nonprofit organization places puppies with puppy-raisers for one year to be trained as service dogs, then gives the dogs to veterans with PTSD.

"When I have a flashback in bed, she wakes me up. If I forget to take my medicine, which is quite often, she comes over and nudges me to remind me. She bugs the hell outta me until I take it, too. She lets me know when there's danger around. And she helps with my balance. My balance is really lousy, so sometimes I fall down, and she'll get right up under my chest and go stiff as a board so I can push up on her shoulders. I feel better with her. I feel safer."

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

Richard Ellett pets his dog Tiger during training at the Soldier ON service dog training facility in Fayetteville. Ellett was the first veteran to get a service dog through the program. He says the dog helps him remember his medicine, aids him after a fall and helps with his PTSD.

Tiger, Richard Ellett's service dog, is a brindle-colored pit bull-Labrador mix that goes everywhere with him. She stands next to Ellett without pulling at her leash or chasing squirrels, and although she has her "sit" and "lay" commands confused, Ellett says she's smarter than most people. She doesn't like to be away from Ellett's side, and at her weekly training, she can only last about a minute and a half during the "stay" exercise before she goes looking for him. She adores Ellett, and it's a mutual love. Ellett says Tiger saved his life.

"I was going to commit suicide, I really was," Ellett says. "I thought about it every day. But I haven't really thought about it at all since I got the dog. She makes me want to stay alive. She gives me something to do. I have to train her to do the things I need her to do, and that's a challenge. But I like challenges."

Ellett is a veteran suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and was the first person to be given a service dog at no charge from the Fayetteville nonprofit, Soldier ON Service Dogs Inc. Tiger had some basic training with volunteers through the organization before being paired with Ellett in November. Now the two attend weekly training classes and receive home visits from a trainer to continue building the ways in which Tiger can assist Ellett in his daily life.

Started just last summer, Soldier ON places puppies with volunteer puppy raisers for up to a year to socialize the dogs and train them in basic obedience. Then the dogs are paired with qualifying veterans with PTSD or a traumatic brain injury, free of charge, to help with anxiety, be a presence to watch the veteran's back and even give reminders to take medicine.

Founder Angie Pratt says the effect these dogs have on veterans and their families is life-changing.

"One man couldn't drive himself anywhere; his wife had to drive him. And when he left the house, he only went to the VA Hospital, then home. Now, two months after getting the dog, he goes to Walmart alone," Pratt says. "The goal with these dogs is we're trying to bring back some sense of normalcy for these folks. The reality is these dogs give them a purpose. They give them hope and joy. That's what is getting me to work 60 to 80 hours a week -- the smiles on these guys' faces."

Pratt started Soldier ON when her son-in-law began suffering from PTSD as the result of an injury sustained from a bomb during his deployment with the military. In researching PTSD service dogs, Pratt and her daughter found the process of getting one to be convoluted and expensive. With the cost a service dog, including training, exceeding tens of thousands of dollars, Pratt says there is certainly a for-profit market for raising the dogs. But with the high number of unemployed and fully disabled veterans, Pratt is passionate about finding good volunteers and funding to provide these services for free.

"You or I can't look at a person and see PTSD or a TBI," Pratt says. "There are physical manifestations to these 'invisible injuries' that people don't necessarily notice, but dogs can. They know when you're becoming anxious. They recognize when you're about to have a seizure. Each person's physical and mental issues are unique, so in getting these veterans the best dad-gum dog we can get them, that makes the puppy raisers extremely important to what we do."

PUPPY SCHOOL

The organization seeks dogs of specific breeds -- usually British Labradors, standard poodles and labradoodles -- for their even temperament. They also accept German shepherds, which happens to be the breed of the two most recent litters, one donated in May and one in August.

The puppy raisers are responsible for basic obedience training but also -- and perhaps more importantly -- socializing the dogs to various sights, sounds and smells. In the environments of a family home, the dogs will be exposed to children and family pets, strangers coming in to the home, crate training and as many other situations to which the puppy raisers can acclimate them. After a few months, the dogs will be taken to banks, restaurants, grocery stores and even work with the raisers. The goal is train up a calm dog who can sit with his veteran in a restaurant without picking up food off the floor and can go into public places without seeking attention from other people.

"It's such a personal way to serve those who have already served us," says Allen Woody of Fayetteville. Woody and his family volunteered to raise one of the German shepherd puppies that arrived Aug. 31 in Fayetteville. "It takes discipline and sacrifice to raise these dogs, but what this organization is doing is a beautiful thing. It's an honor to give back to a veteran in this way. We'll have to say goodbye to [the dog] and that will be hard, so it's a true gift to be able to teach my kids about sacrifice in giving back to these veterans."

During their training, the dogs are outfitted with "Service Dog in Training" vests. These vests signify that the dogs have all the same rights, and same responsibilities, trained service dogs have. They have to be allowed into all facilities and businesses where service dogs can go, so they can learn and be exposed to those environments. These vests also indicate that the dogs should not be petted. Service dogs and dogs in training must be taught they can't seek attention from other people when they are out with their veterans. Teaching these behaviors, getting the dog to recognize it is time for work when he is wearing the vest, is the responsibility of the puppy raisers.

SPREADING THE WORD

Patrick Kelley and his fiancee volunteered to raise one of the puppies when the organization was looking for volunteers. Kelley is a veteran himself and has worked with student veterans on the University of Arkansas campus.

"It's very time-consuming working with her every day," Kelley says of 8-month-old Roxy, the German shepherd puppy he is raising. "She's hyper and she's very smart, so that's challenging. But knowing she's going to be a big help to someone in the future is really rewarding. What people don't understand is the war isn't over for these guys when they step off the plane. Knowing the problems vets face is something personal to me, and I wanted to give back what I could."

Ellett volunteers as much of his time as he can to Soldier ON now. He makes appearances with Tiger at fundraising events and sometimes he goes to the weekly puppy training class to "show them why they're doing this. To show them if Tiger can do it, their puppy can do it." He sees giving his time as a way to raise awareness for the organization so that more veterans can benefit from a service dog the way he has.

"You know, I've lived in nine different states, and Arkansas is the only place I've ever lived where people come up to you and say 'Thank you for your service,'" Ellett says. "And I just feel like Soldier ON is a real opportunity for those people who say thank you to actually show that they really mean it. They can give money or volunteer or be a puppy raiser, but this organization is giving them the means to do more than say thank you, if they're looking for it. It takes a really special person to raise these dogs, but they're life changing. They're a godsend."

NAN Our Town on 10/01/2015

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