Service and Working Dogs

I have written previously about service and working dogs and what a wonderful job they do and also about some of the abusers.  Sometimes people think its "easy" to spot people who have "fake" working dogs.  Just remember, working dogs can do several different things other than leading the blind and helping the physically disabled.  They can help military veterans with PTSD, help anticipate diabetic and epileptic crises and so much more.  I once treated a dog who was a bed bug detector.  She was a rescue from a shelter in the south (shelters in the south of the US have the highest number of dogs killed for lack of homes) and she was worth over $40,000 because of her bed bug detection skills.  I also have met a dog who did four tours in Afghanistan and saved an entire Ranger Battalion from dying from an IED, thankfully due to his nose and sense of detection.  It's amazing what dogs can do!

Dogs have the capacity for loyalty that I think most humans are not capable of, they can persevere in situations along with our most hardened soldiers and come back home to retire as the most humble house dogs.

Even dogs with very little training can help their owners when they come back from situations they don't want to talk about.  Dogs don't ask 50 questions- they are just present and they always seem to know when to offer a paw or a shoulder.  There are several organizations that help military personnel when they are away on duty to all parts of this world and can't take their dog with them.  Many personnel have family members or friends take care of their dogs, but sometimes they don't have these resources available.  If you are considering not having a dog because of the commitment, etc, consider fostering a dog through one of these organizations.  You could truly help someone have peace of mind about their best friend when they are away and provide them with comfort when they return.

I have no preference between the following organizations, please look into them and their references before considering:

dogsondeployment.org
4 Nonprofits
List of a variety of nationwide and local groups
Guardian Angels