SAVING GRACE K9S

We teach veterans who suffer from PTSD how to train their own service dog, whether it be a dog they already are bonded with or a rescue dog we locate for them. We provide all our services, training equipment and service dog gear at no cost to them.
The veterans in our program come to us in one of two ways. Either they have their own dog they bonded with and wish to train it as a psychiatric service dog or they want us to locate a rescue dog for them. We obtain the dogs from local rescue organizations and shelters.
Our program consists of the veteran and dog pair meeting with us once a week for an average of six to eight months. They are required to spend a total of at least 250 hours training with us and on their own. The dogs are trained in basic obedience, specific service tasks and public access training. The teams are given and must pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test and a Public Access Test prior to graduating from our program.
How can dogs help PTSD? Veterans often express they miss combat, they had a brotherhood where they protected each other with their lives. This is not something that can be duplicated in the civilian world and our combat vets are left feeling exposed and unsafe when they are in public. Service dogs can be trained to “block” which puts space between their veteran and others; they can be trained to “sweep” a room prior to the veteran entering; they can be trained to “cover” which alerts the veteran to someone approaching; they can be trained to remind veterans to take their medications. There are an endless number of tasks a dog can be trained to alleviate the anxiety, anger, memory issues, hypervigilance, etc. that accompanies combat PTSD.
The difference these dogs make in their veteran’s lives is perceptible in just a few weeks. Their bond strengthens and they become one as the training progresses. The veterans become calmer and more able to focus, some have reported they no longer have to take as many medications for their symptoms. Not only does change occur in the veteran, there are changes that transcend into their family life as well.
Our mission is two-fold: provide service dogs for veterans with combat PTSD and provide healing to the family unit. More studies are showing the adverse effects on family members and we have witnessed those effects over the past 5 years of operating our organization. Veterans with PTSD often feel detached, avoid emotions, startle easily and avoid social situations. All of which puts an extreme strain on the family.
Our new training center/retreat was completed in July of 2020. We currently have a training center, large picnic pavilion, outdoor recreation games, woodwork shop, small fruit orchard and fenced dog play area. Our plans over the next 6 months include adding a fishing pond, walking trails, playground and garden. These amenities will be available to our alumni and current veterans and their families. By providing a safe environment for the veteran and his/her family to interact, we believe the family unit will slowly heal.
All our funding is secured from fundraisers, grant requests, personal/corporate donations and sales proceeds from online venues.