U.S. Army Specialist & His Bomb Sniffing Dog Reunite!

On August 20, 2015, Vance, a U.S. Army Specialist and his bomb sniffing dog, Ikar, reunited after 3 long years! They served together in Afghanistan and Vance missed his army partner very much. 

Vance was not sure he would see his pal again but thankfully the U.S. War Dogs Association and Mission K9 Rescue made it happen!

"The bond and amount of trust we had in each other was stronger than anything I could ever explain to another person," Vance expressed.

Vance and Ikar, a T.E.D.D. (Tactical Explosive Detection Dog), had a mission to save lives, limbs and helping his army buddies walk easier so they could do their jobs.

Vance's own words couldn't say it better about how he feels about Ikar. "I am so thankful he was found and is alive and well. I am even more thankful that I get the opportunity to give Ikar the proper home, love, and attention he deserves from this point on. He will live out the rest of his life being treated like a hero he is and enjoy spoils of retirement. I have missed my friend for over 3 years and knowing that he will be home soon with me is unbelievable. I will forever be in debt to all the people who made this reunion possible. I could not thank you enough times for you all to know how much this means to me. Thank you."

The Morris Animal Inn Operation: War Dogs Campaign has so far raised over $8,000 for the purpose of helping bring U.S. Military War Dogs home. We are happy to say that Vance and Ikar's reunion is the result of your support. The campaign continues until September 7, 2015. For the full article about Vance and Ikar click here.

Dogs Open Their Paws to Returning Soldiers

For the men and women coming home from defending their country, the hardships of adapting back to their everyday lives can be more difficult then some may think. While having to suffer through endless tours of duty, soldiers long for a final trip back to what they once remembered as their home. But for many veterans, home can feel like a foggy memory of how life used to be. Feeling like a stranger in the place you once felt most comfortable can be an unbearable burden for someone who has already gone through such turmoil and despair. Studies show that “an estimated one in five veterans deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 has or will develop post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression.” Without any true way of relating to these heroes, the average person will find it nearly impossible to come up with a solution to the horror which they now live. Symptoms like flashbacks, upsetting dreams, increased anger or irritability, and anxiety are things that veterans need help to control. And in some cases, the best way of servicing these issues will not come from doctors or medication, but from the most unexpected place: man’s best friend.

Service dogs are used traditionally for blind, deaf or physically disabled patients, but an article in NavyTimes.com explain that recently they have been trained to perform tasks that can improve PTSD symptoms, such as create a buffer in public places or wake a veteran from a nightmare. These dogs are individually trained to perform tasks for a specific person, surveying darkened rooms, turning on lights, re-orienting their owner during nightmares or flashbacks, detecting anxiety, navigating through crowds, enforcing boundaries for personal space. Golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers are ideal service dog companions for veterans because of their temperament and sociability.

Service dogs evoke a confidence in veterans that they may have lost as a result of their time spent overseas. In addition to the postwar related help they give veterans, dogs also allow for normalcy to be restored to the lives of these men and women. With service dogs, veterans step out of their comfort zone and forget about their troubles, even if just for a moment, and socialize with their community as they try to gain back feelings of comfort.

Funding is still being collected for research to see the impact service dogs have on veterans. Since owning a service dog can be extremely expensive, foundations are attempting to work with other groups in order to get funding for someone they think can benefit from owning these extraordinary pups. The power a dog can have in a person’s life is something that can not be found anywhere else. And for the brave Americans who risked everything for their country, a chance to heal and take back their own lives is something they deserve.

We are pleased to have Vin, as a contributing writer for If They Could Talk. Vin is a passionate dog owner. We look forward to sharing his contribution on interesting and educational pet topics.