Paw-some Support: Service Dogs Empowering Veterans with PTSD, Study Reveals

While for years there has been anecdotal evidence of the benefits of emotional support dogs for veterans such as Certa, a new national study offers more definitive proof. Maggie O’Haire, one of the study’s co-authors and a researcher with the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, and her colleagues followed 156 veterans over three months. The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and released June 4, found veterans with dogs reported decreased severity of PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression and higher psychosocial functioning. The dogs were provided by a nonprofit, K9s for Warriors.

A Difficult Transition

Certa, who enlisted shortly after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, was just 19 when he was first deployed to Iraq in 2003. He was in Fallujah during the most intense fighting of the war; his final deployment ended in 2005. After seeing the human cost of war, from service members killed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to urban warfare and house-to-house “cordon and knock” operations, Certa found it difficult to adjust to civilian life. “It was really tough coming home,” he said. “You had certain expectations. When you’re in the Marines, you don’t really talk about things.”

He struggled, engaging in what he called “reckless behavior” and leaning on alcohol. “You mask a lot of the problems,” Certa said, petting and squeezing Mando. “You get reckless; you feel invincible. You feel like, well, you didn’t die (in combat), but you also feel guilty that you didn’t die, and other guys did.”

Finding Support and Companionship

In 2007, Certa followed the advice of concerned family members and stopped drinking. It helped. He went back to school, earned a graduate degree in education and began teaching. But a few years ago, he found himself struggling again. The then-superintendent of the Matawan School District, Joseph “Jay” Majka, was a himself a Marine Corps veteran and understood the struggles vets sometimes face. “I didn’t realize how far I was spinning out of control,” Certa said. “But my colleagues saw something in me wasn’t right, and (Majka) came to me and said, ‘Let’s get you some help.'”

K9s for Warriors, which paired Certa with Mando, is one of several nonprofits that helps veterans obtain service dogs. The dogs’ training includes three main cues: “Look,” which tells the dog, in military parlance, to “watch my six,” helpful for people wary of enclosed spaces or being unable to see all around themselves; “on my lap,” in which the dog acts as a comforting weight and calming presence; and “front,” which tells the dog to form a buffer between the veteran and others, mitigating hyper-vigilance they might feel in crowds.

A Constant Companion

Mando and Certa have been together for a year, and Certa said they’re nearly inseparable. Mando accompanies him to work each day – the dog has his own school ID card – and he’s a hit with students at the middle school where Certa teaches and members of the church youth group Certa leads. “He helps me so much and it’s awesome that he brings such a positive element to wherever he’s at,” Certa said. “There’s no crummy attitude around a dog, you know? He’s the best.”

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