WA Coast Guard veteran highlights experience with service dog
Service dogs helping veterans with PTSD
Ahead of Veterans Day, FOX 13 Seattle met with a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, who wants to highlight how helpful service dogs can be for those with post-traumatic stress disorder.
SEATTLE - A U.S. Coast Guard veteran is sharing his experience handling a service dog, highlighting how service dogs can help people experiencing symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Big picture view:
Ahead of Veterans Day, FOX 13 Seattle met with Connor Huston, who wants to highlight how helpful service dogs can be for those with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Connor Huston said his service dog, Malcolm, has helped him feel more comfortable in crowded spaces and get better sleep.
What they're saying:
"I do a lot of memory recalls that aren’t necessarily the greatest," Huston said. "The calmer it gets, the darker it gets — it’s usually when a lot of that comes into the forefront.
"Whenever he’s there, it kind of just grounds me back to where I am currently versus where I was previously," he said.
Dig deeper:
The organization Canine Companions launched the initiative to provide service dogs for veterans with PTSD in 2018. Since then, it has provided hundreds of service dogs to veterans across the country, free of charge.
Service dogs help those individuals experiencing symptoms of PTSD by creating barriers and distance from the source of anxiety. They can also disrupt nightmares by turning on lights and retrieving items, according to the organization's website.
About 7 out of every 100 veterans will experience symptoms of Post Stress Traumatic Disorder at some point in their lives, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Source: Information from this article came from an interview produced for Seattle News Tonight on FOX 13 Seattle
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Boeing layoffs: 5% of staff cut as company 'resets pace of production'
Ex-soldier sentenced to 70 years for 2023 Beyond Wonderland shooting in WA
Fed up with delivery costs, Seattle restaurant owner starts his own service
15-year-old found dead during Cle Elum arrest operation
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.