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K-9 Programs for Servicemen and
Veterans |
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The programs listed below
train service and therapy dogs for Veterans suffering from
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain
Injuries (TBI).
It is true that dogs are Man's
Best Friend, but the relationship between a soldier or veteran
and his dog transcends mere friendship.
If you run, or know of similar
programs elsewhere, please
contact the Webmaster to have your
organization's Web site linked to from this page.
K-9 Soldiers
Flemington, NJ -
http://www.K9Soldiers.org
Semper Fido, Marlton, NJ -
http://www.SemperFido.org
Canine
Battle Buddies, Flemington,
NJ
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http://www.CanineBattleBuddies.org |
I have had a dog (or two) ever
since I can remember (six altogether). Photos of the latest three are shown
below and in the About Us page. From experience, I can tell you that there is no such thing as a "bad
dog"
– only owners that
lack the qualities that make Man "human". When an inhumane "human" owns a dog,
the animal will become vicious because of mistreatment, neglect, or abuse. It is
worse when dogs are made to fight each other to the death. This
is the reason that the Pit-Bull breed has a bad reputation. The truth of this
statement can be verified by watching a few episodes of "Pit-Bulls
and Parolees". The
sub-humans who stage
dog-fights should be taken out and shot. Period. This would constitute
humane justice as far as I'm concerned. It would also save the taxpayers a bunch
of money by reserving expensive prison cells for criminals that have any
hope
of being rehabilitated by their incarceration.
Some
fools that portray themselves as "experts" will go so far as to tell you that
"A dog licks you
because he likes the salt on your skin",
as "a sign of
submission", or
because they are looking for food. What a crock! You can put this statement to
the test by rubbing your hands with black pepper, and your dog will still lick
you to show her affection. A dog will lick you right after he has eaten two
pounds of hamburgers. Dog licks are "kisses" (dogs can't pucker their lips, so
licking is the next-best thing). A dog licks you because she loves you, and
anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is a damn fool. Anyone who has had a dog
for any length of time surely knows this.
As
proof of a dog's emotional attachment to their owners, I submit to you that a
dog whose owner passes away, will become depressed and despondent – despite
ample food and affection from other family members. I know this because when my
good friend Art Bernklau (photos below) passed away in March 2012, one of his
German Short-haired Pointers became intractably depressed – so much so that she
had to be euthanized. Her veterinarian told Art's wife that the dog was the
worst case of separation anxiety he had ever seen in all his years of practice.
If not for love, what do you call it when a dog is literally dying of a broken
heart because she misses her life-long companion?
My dog
Rocky, who was trained as a "therapy dog" by my good friend Jozie who lived next
door from me, protected him from being killed by a mugger. Rocky was walking
ahead of Jozie off-leash in Woodside, Queens New York, at 2AM. A mugger appeared
"out of nowhere", but obviously didn't think the dog (if he even noticed the dog
at all) was with Jozie. The assailant hit Jozie in the back of the head with an
empty beer bottle, and proceeded to beat and rob him. Rocky turned around when
he heard the commotion, and the attacker then tried to flee. According to police
and witnesses, the dog sank his teeth into the attacker's ass-cheek and started
shaking (as Terriers do). Police could not get Rocky to let go until a K-9 unit
was dispatched with a tranquilizer dart that put Rocky to sleep. Jozie was taken
to the hospital, but they didn't know who he was because he left his ID home,
but Rocky had an ID chip and a "Home
Again" tag. The cops took the dog to the ASPCA to get his "chip" read. When
the ASPCA scanned the chip, they got my address, and took Rocky home to find out
who Jozie was. Rocky came home in a squad car with his face and head caked in
blood. The cops said that the attacker needed 100 stitches to close the wound in
his ass.
We
always hear of Police Dogs who jump into the path of a bullet to protect their
human officer handler and apprehend criminals. It is not because "dogs are
fearless", or because they do not perceive the danger; I am completely convinced
that these "dumb animals" are capable of what the vast majority of human beings
are incapable of – altruism borne of unconditional love. As it says in the
Bible:
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends". – John 15:13
paraphrasing:
"Greater love hath no
human
than this, than a
dog who lays down
his life for his owner."
Dogs really DO feel our pain: Read this article:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/2d9e33e6#/2d9e33e6/35
Peace and Godspeed,
 WebPastor David J. Todeschini
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