Veterans Use Dogs to Cope with Anxiety

Jo Hanna Schaffer is a 67-year-old Vietnam veteran, a former Army medic, Karen Alexander is a retired Air Force Capt, and Billerica is a resident in Massachusetts. What do these three women have in common? Each one suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has tried every pill out there but only one thing worked: the comfort of a furry best friend.

But these aren't any dogs, these are service dogs trained especially for the purpose of aiding people with mental illnesses, from anxiety disorders to bipolar disorder to PTSD. These dogs are trained to recognize the signs of depression or an oncoming panic attack and to act accordingly. Some nuzzle their owner with their nose, or curl up close beside them to provide emotional comfort and stability.

The benefits that these dogs give their owners are priceless and so is the cost of their upbringing and rearing. Producing just one of these dogs can go as high as $20,000 because training is very time consuming. Fortunately organizations and professionals trainers can pass the cost along to corporate donations and give these dogs to owners who really need them for only a few hundred dollars.

["Alexander says her first service dog, Clover, helped her overcome social isolation. After retiring in 1994, Alexander had a nervous breakdown and became housebound. She wanted to stay in bed all day, but having the dog forced her to get out.

"It became such an asset in my life," Alexander says. "When I couldn't get out for me, I had to get out for the dog." ] Cnn.com/living



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