“A man, well, he'll walk right into Hell with both eyes open. But even the devil can't fool a dog.” -Earl Hamner, Jr.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have been called the hallmark wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to a 2008 Rand study, one in five American service members who’ve been deployed in the post-9/11 wars suffer from PTSD.
But dogs are helping troops coming home from war through their darkest days.
Doctors are now actually prescribing service dogs for veterans who can’t find relief from their haunting symptoms with just medication or therapy. Service dogs are giving veterans crippled by depression and anxiety the ability to leave the house for the first time in years, to find employment, to once again enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
General George Patton once said, “War is Hell.” If that’s the case, then it’s no surprise the men and women in the military have come to depend on dogs to help them heal from the post-war wounds no one else can see.
Home Post's multi-day series called "Even the Devil Can't Fool a Dog" will focus on how a Yellow Labrador Retriever named Logan is helping Camp Pendleton Marine Corps veteran Carlos Cruz battle PTSD.
Later today, Part 1 of "Even the Devil Can't Fool a Dog."
