A Pentagon study found that one in four veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression or anxiety. Veterans are coming home with feelings of abandonment and having a difficult time adjusting to civilian life. This includes depression, substance abuse and in the worst cases, violence and suicide.
Canines With a Cause (CWAC) works with the Veterans Administration and Vet Centers to identify veterans who will benefit from a service or well trained companion dog. CWAC then works one-on-one with the veterans to determine what temperament, size and other traits will work best for them and their household.
The veteran then has the option of training their dog through our "Pawsitive Partners" program. The training is provided free of charge and creates a strong bond and partnership. It also enables the veteran to gain knowledge regarding handling their dog and acquire training skills. Working with the dogs has proven to be very beneficial, it gives veterans struggling with PTSD or Traumatic Brain Injury a reason to leave their home, purpose and confidence.
If the veteran would like the dog to have special training before adoption, we place the dog in our "Pawsitive Healing" program. CWAC partnered with the Utah State Women's Correctional facility creating a program where the dogs live and train in the prison facility. This program has multiple benefits; a dog is rescued from a shelter, a veteran receives a well trained dog and a prison inmate is given a chance to redeem and give back to society. The women also benefit from having something to love and nurture and learning a vocational skill, training dogs. The dogs remain with their trainers for six to nine months before being turned over to their new homes with veterans in need.
"I'm already so attached" says Shauna DeHerrera, an inmate trainer. "Having the dogs here with us everyday, it gives us a reason to wake up every morning. It lets us know we're not total failures. It lets us know we can heal."
While the dogs train in prison, their future partners learn necessary skills from our trainers. CWAC provides continued training and support for the dog/veteran teams, we also help with veterinary care and food on a case-by case basis.
Who really is rescuing who?
