We could all do with some good news after a crazy 2021. And it doesn’t get much better than this. PTSD Dogs Australia has partnered up with Precious Paws Animal Rescue (PPAR) to rescue an unwanted puppy from a certain death.
PTSD Dogs Australia has adopted a new recruit for their assistance dog program. Willow was only a puppy when a decision was made to euthanize her. The 10 month old Labrador and Shar Pei mix was facing an almost certain death before Precious Paws intervened and rescued her into their foster care program.
Shortly after, the organisation PTSD Dogs Australia reached out to Precious Paws looking to recruit a new dog into their assistance program. As part of the program, Willow will now be trained to become a loyal support dog for veterans and first responders suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Willow was destined to be an assistance dog. With a well-mannered and calm personality, she was able to fly through her initial assessment. She is perfectly suited for PTSD Dog Australia’s assistance program.
Willow was 48 hours away from being euthanised before she was adopted by PTSD Dogs Australia. She will now be trained to be an assistance dog for those dealing with PTSD.
Precious Paws Animal Rescue is an organisation that is dedicated to rescuing dogs from shelters and giving them a new lease at life. They also make sure that there is a right match between the dog and its new home. They carefully consider all the potential ‘forever homes’ before choosing the one best suited for the dog. They also make sure that the dog is prepared for its new home, with all dogs undergoing a basic obedience training.
PTSD Dogs Australia’s awesome work
Willow however, will receive further training from PTSD Dogs Australia in order to prepare her for her role as an assistance dog. PTSD Dogs Australia is an organisation dedicated to rescuing dogs from shelters and training them to become highly skilled support dogs. Once trained, they are given to a veteran or first responder dealing with PTSD. They do all of this at no cost to the new owners.
Dogs make for fantastic support/assistance dogs due to their unrelinquished love and constant companionship. As each new owner has different needs, each dog will be trained to support the owner’s specific requirements.
For those suffering from PTSD, an assistance dog can be a life changer. The assistance dog can often mitigate the symptoms of PTSD, including panic attacks, night terrors, and anxiety.
For example, a handicapped individual might have issues with picking up items off the ground. The dogs will therefore be trained to retrieve these items for their owners. For those dealing with night terrors, the support dog will be trained to turn on the lights in the room and wake up their owners. More complex tasks such as unloading the washing from the washing machine into a basket can also be trained.
PTSD Dogs Australia runs almost entirely on volunteers. They rely on donations, government grants and corporate sponsorships, in order to cover the costs of running the program. If you would like to know more about PTSD Dogs Australia or support their great cause, visit ptsddogs.org.au.
