Wounded Warrior Assistance Dog Training Program

As of February 1, 2010 paws4people™ began a new training program through its paws4vets™ program. This training program, described below, will create a second training venue – in conjunction with the [paws4prisons->]™ program – for paws4people™ Assistance Dogs.

paws4vets™ is a program within the paws4people™ foundation. The paws4people™ foundation privately places trained, certified and insured Assistance Dogs (AD) with Veterans, Active-Duty Military and/or their dependents with physical, neurological, psychological and/or emotional disabilities, through its paws4vets™ (www.paws4vets.org) Assistance Dog Placement Program (p4vADPP). The paws4people™ foundation is also a member of the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program’s (AW2) Community Support Network.

paws4prisons™ is a program within the paws4people™ foundation. The paws4prisons™ program teaches inmates, within five Federal prisons, to train various types of Assistance Dogs. The inmates, a very high percentage of which have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex-PTSD, learn how to train “shelter-rescue dogs,” then progress to training very highly-trained Serviced Dogs, some of which know in excess of 130 commands. The program inmates also participate in the customized training, public access training, certification testing and final placement processes for their dogs, including the transfer training process of the dog’s “Service Dog Team Partner.” This program has served as an inmate rehabilitation program and has had considerable success in aiding inmates with PTSD / C-PTSD to recover, or at the very least, better cope with, their PTSD/C-PTSD and its symptoms by utilizing the therapeutic benefits of “Special K-9 Powers.”

Due to the overwhelming success of the paws4prisons™ program, coupled with the overwhelming need within the U.S. Army active-duty and Veteran ranks for Assistance Dogs, paws4vets™ is proud to announce the initiation of the paws4vetsWWADTPTM Program. In concert with the Commander, WINN Army Hospital, Ft. Stewart, and the Commander, U.S. Army Warrior Transition Battalion, Ft. Stewart, the paws4vetsWWADTPTM Program will bring to the Ft. Stewart WTB Soldier the same rehabilitation program and its capabilities of aiding Wounded Warrior Battalion (WTB) Soldiers with PTSD, C-PTSD, and TBI to recover, or at the very least, better cope with, their PTSD, C-PTSD, TBI and its symptoms by utilizing the therapeutic benefits of “Special K-9 Powers.”

The paws4vets™ / Ft. Stewart WWADTP, PTSD Recovery/Intervention Program will teach members of the WTB to train various types of Assistance Dogs. [Please see Attachment 1, the “Types of Dogs Trained” for a comprehensive description of the type of dogs that will be trained within the Program.] Members of the program first learn how to train “shelter-rescue dogs,” then progress to training very highly-trained Service Dogs, some of which know in excess of 130 commands. Members of the program will also participate in the selection, customized training, public access training, certification testing and final placement processes for their dogs, including the transfer training process of the dog’s “Service Dog Team Partner.”

Once these Service Dogs are trained and certified, they are placed with Army Active-Duty members, Army Veterans, or active-duty Army dependents, with physical, neurological, psychiatric and/or emotional disabilities. Currently, Service Dog placement is limited to Army Active-Duty members, Veterans, or dependents who reside in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, eastern Tennessee, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The dogs are provided free-of-charge to their “Service Dog Team Partner.” However, the “Service Dog Team Partner” has to invest “sweat-equity” into the process of obtaining their dog via generating public awareness about their dog, in order to assist more of their fellow soldiers in receiving dogs in the future.

We have a Strategic Partnership with a rescue organization in Afghanistan which supports our AfghanDogZTM paws4vets™ program. This partnership will bring dogs rescued from Afghanistan to the Ft. Stewart WWADTP.

The paws4vetsWWADTPTM Program is a “pilot” program implementing a version of the paws4prisons™ Program within the Warrior Transition Battalion, Ft. Stewart. The paws4vetsWWADTPTM Program’s training will take place within the confines of the WTB, Ft. Stewart and the surrounding greater Hinesville, GA area.

Interested members of the Ft. Stewart WTB must apply for acceptance into the paws4vetsWWADTPTM Program. Applicants must successfully pass initial Battalion and Medical Treatment Team review, then pass an interview process conducted by the paws4vets™ / paws4vetsWWADTPTM staff.

Selected candidates will join the paws4vetsWWADTPTM Team. Participation in the paws4vetsWWADTPTM PTSD Recovery / Intervention Assistance Dog Training Program – will provide team members with the following benefits which will enhance their therapeutic recovery process:

A real sense of accomplishment: by making the decision to apply for the program, by completing the arduous, lengthy and complex application process, including the coordination and interaction with your physical and mental health treatment teams, successfully completing the interview process, and, by being selected to participate in the program.

When you are assigned to a K-9 Training Team you will experience a sense of empowerment as you are now totally responsible for your dog’s life, its training and its future role in helping another individual. If you are selected to work with a Shelter/Rescue Dog, you will be working with a dog that has been saved from being euthanized. These dogs will be trained within the constraints and parameters of their pre-existing post-rescue behavioral conditions (K-9 PTSD).

A very powerful and extensive sense of realization that you are not alone with your PTSD and that you have a real potential to recover from or better cope with your PTSD as you participate in the program. You will learn how to train and work with dogs and you will be involved with people who have learned to live with and overcome their PTSD. Thus, you have the opportunity to interact with, learn from, mentor and be monitored by the staff and paws4prisonsTM inmates, many of whom also suffer from PTSD.

A sense of accomplishment, which will only increase over time, as you and your dog experience the “Special Power” of the “K-9 / Human Bond.” As you train with your dog and as your dog begins to trust and bond with you, an incredible energy will form that will help to conquer the power your PTSD has to control and encapsulate you. Your dog will replace those negative aspects of your PTSD.

A sense of expression and engagement as you write and submit weekly “blog” entries detailing and describing you and your dog’s daily activities. This will be part of our Public Awareness Campaign to help bring public attention to the benefits of Rehabilitative Assistance Dog / Service Dogs.

This program has two primary goals:

To provide the WTB Soldier with a unique opportunity to experience the “Special Therapeutic Powers” of the K-9/Human Bond enabling the Soldier to recover from, or at least learn to better cope with, his/her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) symptoms, and,

To train, certify and place Assistance Dogs with U.S. Army Veterans, U.S. Army Active-duty Service Members (ADSM) and U.S. Army dependents with physical, neurological, psychiatric or emotional disabilities.

paws4vets™ already has Clients waiting for the opportunity to receive Ft. Stewart WTB ADTP trained Assistance Dogs.

This program, the first-of-its-kind to be operated within the structure of an U.S. Army Warrior Transition Battalion, demonstrates the U.S. Army’s unwavering commitment and dedication to providing cutting-edge therapeutic intervention for their Soldiers with PTSD, C-PTSD and/or TBI. The inspired leadership and foresight of Col. Cordts, Commander, U.S. Army Hospital, Ft. Stewart, Lt. Col. Kanicki, Former Commander, WTB, Ft. Stewart, and Lt. Col. Reitemeyer, Commander, WTB, Ft. Stewart, are responsible for providing the members of the WTB with this unique opportunity to participate in this program.

paws4vets™ ( www.paws4vets.org ) is a part of the paws4people™ foundation ( www.paws4people.org ). The paws4people™ foundation privately places trained, certified and insured Assistance Dogs with persons with physical, neurological, psychological and/or emotional disabilities.

This is a link to an article about the WWADTP that was published in The Army Times:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/04/30/38284-winn-warrior-transition-battalion-chosen-pilot-site-for-armys-service-dog-training/