PTSD and A Man's Best Friend

(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Sometimes Danny says that he doesn't think dogs have the same feelings as humans and they don't hear what we say. I think that dogs and humans have the same feelings and deal with their emotions in the same way. You see and hear a dog crying. You can tell when they are mad, happy, and excited. How could you not think that dogs have feelings and emotions. There is a reason they are man's best friend.

This morning I was watching a story on the news about PTSD and dogs returning from war. This is from the Associated Press website

Gina was a playful 2-year-old German shepherd when she went to Iraq as a highly trained bomb-sniffing dog with the military, conducting door-to-door searches and witnessing all sorts of noisy explosions.

She returned home to Colorado cowering and fearful. When her handlers tried to take her into a building, she would stiffen her legs and resist. Once inside, she would tuck her tail beneath her body and slink along the floor. She would hide under furniture or in a corner to avoid people.

A military veterinarian diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder — a condition that some experts say can afflict dogs just like it does humans.

In the past, a dog showing these signs of PTSD would have been put down. How is that fair? This dog is protecting their country the same way any man or woman is. We don't put humans down. Why is this even an option for dogs?

Gina has been attending therapy and has been re-socialized. Her handler, Staff Sgt. Melinda Miller, says she trusts the dog with her entire life. Gina has returned to active duty status.

This is the part of the story I don't like.

But some veterinarians dislike applying the diagnosis to animals, thinking it demeans servicemen and women, Dodman said. He added that he means no offense to military personnel when he uses the term.

I do not think it should offend military personal by using this term. We have no problem sending dogs onto the front line, and honestly, they have no say in it. But they are serving and protecting our country. They deserve the same honor and respect as any man or woman serving our country.

 

What are your thoughts on this topic? You can read the entire story here.