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Changing Lives, One Tail Wag at a Time

Matching Heroes:
Veterans and Rescue Dogs

Lake Charles Pit Bull Rescue, in partnership with The Positive Pit Project, provides life-changing service dogs to veterans struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These specially trained dogs aren’t just pets; they’re heroes offering companionship, support, and even medical assistance. Our dogs are provided to the veteran as a donation, with all costs covered by us and/or a sponsor for the dog/veteran.

What is PTSD and How does it Affect People?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/con-20022540). When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in PTSD, this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger. Symptoms of PTSD include Re-experiencing symptoms: Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating, Bad dreams, and Frightening thoughts. (Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. They can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing.) Avoidance symptoms: Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience, Feeling emotionally numb, Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry, Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past, Having trouble remembering the dangerous event (Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a being in a vehicle bombed by an Air to Ground Missile, a veteran may not be comfortable in a car, and be unable to drive.) Hyperarousal symptoms: Being easily startled, Feeling tense or “on edge”, Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts. (Hyperarousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic event. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.)

What is the Cost of a Service Dog?

Our dogs are provided to the veteran as a donation, with all costs covered by us and/or a sponsor for the dog/veteran.

If you are interested in sponsoring one of our dogs, please email [email protected] or call 337-298-0591.

How can Veterans Apply for a Service Dog?

All veterans accepted into our program must be med compliant, in counseling, must sign a HIPPA agreement to allow us access to their medical records as well as counselor, and after “hand off” continue training.

For more information, please email [email protected] or call 337-298-0591.

Service dog with veteran
Girl holding and kissing pitbull

Rigorous Training for Success

Our Service Dogs:
Trained to Assist

We believe rescued dogs can become heroes too. Our program trains rescued pit bulls as “Medical Alert” service dogs to assist veterans with PTSD. Each dog is trained in basic obedience, CGC and Community Canine, which can take up to a year.

How Can Service Dogs Help Veterans?

Medical response dogs can be trained to perform a variety of tasks such as seeking out another individual when their handlers are experiencing a medical crisis and need help, positioning their handlers in a manner that will keep them safe during a seizure, retrieving emergency medication, dialing 911 on phones equipped for use by service dogs and a wide variety of unique skills that not only give the gift of independence, but can also mean the difference between life and death for their handlers. A few of the skills that our service dogs are trained to perform are reminding a veteran to take his medicine, turning lights on in a dark house, wake a veteran up from a night terror, lean into and comfort their veteran during a panic attack and even help to bring them out of a panic attack by licking their face, and placing their head on their veterans shoulder while driving.

What Training Do Service Dogs Receive?

All of our service dogs are CGC certified, have service dog certification, Community canine certification, and are AKC registered. The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program, established in 1989, is an American Kennel Club program to promote responsible dog ownership and to encourage the training of well-mannered dogs. A dog and handler team must take a short behavioral evaluation of less than half an hour; dogs who pass the evaluation earn the Canine Good Citizen certificate. The evaluation consists of ten objectives. Test items include: Accepting a friendly stranger, Sitting politely for petting, Allowing basic grooming procedures, Walking on a loose lead, Walking through a crowd, Sitting and lying down on command and staying in place, Coming when called, Reacting appropriately to another dog, Reacting appropriately to distractions, and Calmly enduring supervised separation from the owner. AKC Community Canine is the advanced level of AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. As with CGC, AKC Community Canine requires a 10-step test that dogs must pass to earn the official AKC Community Canine title: Dog sits or lies down and waits under control, Walks on a loose leash in a natural situation (not in a ring)—does not pull, Walks on a loose leash through a crowd, Dog walks past distraction dogs present; does not pull, Sit-stay in small group (3 other people with dogs), Dog allows person who is carrying something to approach and pet it, “Leave it.” Dog walks by food and follows owner instructions, “Leave it”, Down and sit/stay, Recall (coming when called) with distractions present, and Dog will enter/exit a doorway or passageway with owner and remain under control.

What is the Cost of Training a Service Dog?

A service dog in our program can cost anywhere from $8,000.00 to roughly $10,000.00. For a detailed breakdown of the cost please check out our Service Dog Cost page.

 

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