Feb 10, 2010 11:38 pm US/Pacific
Greyhounds Trained To Help Veterans With PTSD
LINCOLN (CBS13) ―
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Former racing greyhounds are now being trained to be companions to veterans suffering from PTSD.
CBS
As the economy tumbled, many race tracks went out of business, leaving many greyhound racing dogs out of a home, but a new program is retraining the animals to help serve military veterans.
Steve Manning, a former Marine who has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), said a prescription of lithium xiproxene dithicote and Prozac can't help fix his emotional problems, but his dog Cowgirl can.
"She's calming for me and she provides a buffer from the rest of the people out there," Steve said.
Back from deployment and discharged from the Marine Corps, Steve said he is still haunted by memories of war. "I'm physically here but I'm still over there," he said.
Weeks ago, CBS13 was there as local animal lover Susan Aceves opened her heart and home to many abandoned greyhounds, and now the group Four Paws for Veterans is helping give the gentle souls a new purpose.
"Actually, they saw us because of you, your special a few weeks back, they saw it and contacted us and asked if they could take a look at the greyhounds," Susan said.
The greyhounds went through boot camp at Mather Air Field; dogs who only knew 45 miles per hour speeds now learn to simply walk with their handler, block strangers, watch their best friend's back and even calm nervous twitches.
The dogs are trained to spot warning signs for PTSD, such as scratching or twitching, and intervene by offering comfort.
War heroes who were trained to fight or die trying are finally feeling a calming in their souls with just a little nudge from a wet nose and those puppy eyes.
"She's heaven sent, that's for sure," Steve said.
More "unemployed" greyhounds will be brought to Mather Field to train, because many vets are on a waiting list for companions.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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