WL005: Tony Kaczoroski: Training Man's Best Friend

Soldier ON Service Dogs www.soldieronservicedogs.org   History   Soldier On Service Dogs (SOSD) was founded by Angie Pratt in September 2014 after a close relative, a Marine bomb technician, was injured in Afghanistan and began experiencing the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  After researching treatments she realized a service dog would be of great benefit but no such organizations were to be found in this area.  Thus began Soldier On Service Dogs, the only organization of its kind in the state of Arkansas.   Twenty percent of Iraqi and Afghanistan war veterans have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Estimates for Northwest Arkansas put the number of PTSD/TBI Veterans at about 14,000. Of those, 840 (6%) would benefit from a service dog. PTSD/TBI service dogs do amazing things for their veterans. They detect seizures, disrupt nightmares, call 911, reduce need for medication, mitigate anxiety, reduce stress and save families and veterans’ lives.    SOSD puts its dogs through a two-year training process.  First, the company acquires a puppy between six and eight weeks old.  The puppy is then sent to live with a foster family (see Puppy Raisers for more information), where it is disciplined and learns to adapt to a family environment.  After about a year, the dog is brought in for advanced work with the company's trainers for four to six months.  When the dog reaches 18 months old, it is paired with a veteran for further training.    Each veteran applicant is required to be in counseling and have obtained a letter from that counselor stating they would benefit from a service dog and would be able to take care of it.  Soldier On Service Dogs also requires the veterans take classes with them to find a dog that suits them and learn to handle their dogs. These classes continue as long as necessary before the veteran is allowed to take their service dog home.  The entire training and raising process costs about $25,000 per dog/veteran duo.     Our Mission   To operate as a charitable organization by providing, at no charge, trained service dogs and service dog training to qualified veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and by contributing to the overall knowledge base of best practices associated with service dogs.   We will focus on quality of the dog, its training, its trainers and veteran clients to assure successful placement and ongoing dog/client partnerships.    ABOUT SOSD   Soldier On Service Dogs is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides Northwest Arkansas Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and/or TBI with service dogs free of charge. Our service dogs are carefully chosen, matched to a veteran and custom trained to handle that veterans specific needs. ___________________________________________ The Demand Because Arkansas has one of the highest per-capita veteran populations there are an estimated 2,500 Arkansans in need of service dogs.  In fact, nearly 10% of Arkansans have served or currently serve in the military. The Supply To date, there has been a very limited offering of highly trained service dogs.  There is no regulation when it comes to service dog trainers and no regulated certification for service dog teams, resulting in many inadequately trained dogs carrying the honored title of Service Dogs.  Our service dogs are trained by our specialists familiar with the needs of veterans, and we also train the veterans how to handle their service dogs in a variety of situations. The Current Situation There is currently a great need for properly trained service dogs for veterans in Northwest Arkansas and across the country. The Veterans Administration only recognizes service dogs for veterans with sight, hearing or mobility issues.  A study is being conducted by the Veterans Administration to validate veterans with PTSD can benefit from service dogs.  We have directly witnessed the benefits a service dog can give to a veteran with these disabilities.  In fact, there may be a direct link to the benefits of service dogs and the prevention of suicide in the veteran population. ___________________________________________ Hero Tales Hanger Party http://www.soldieronservicedogs.org/About/Events/Hero-Tales-Hanger-Party   A fun evening honoring our local veterans!   Enjoy dinner and drinks, tour the museum, shop silent and live auctions, and dance the night away at the Arkansas Air & Military Museum. Join us for a fun, western-themed evening featuring Barrett Baber, hosted by Jack and Angela Pestello.   Arkansas Air & Military Museum (Drake Field) Saturday, March 10, 2018 6:00pm to 11:00pm ___________________________________________ Alive-Tree http://www.soldieronservicedogs.org/Alive-Tree The Alive tree is a 12-foot tall outdoor tree sculpture made out of rebar patterned after the tree sculptures at the Prairie Grove National Museum.  The sculpture will be made by the Northwest Technical Institute Students from material supplied by Home Depot and a generous donation from the Bank of Fayetteville to have the sculpture tree permanently installed.  The tree will feature leaves with the names of the veterans who our donors want to say they are glad they alive.   This tree will have a special place of honor in front of the Soldier ON office for everyone to see the names of those whose continued life is celebrated and cherished.   The Leaves of Celebration The leaves of this tree are leaf-shaped ornaments designed by Avery Nelson of Forge Custom Metal Designs with engraving by John Lifer of Ozark Laser Engraving and will carry the name of the veteran who was able to come home and who is making a difference in our lives today. When you pledge a recurring donation of $10 per month, an engraved leaf will be placed on the tree in honor of the veteran of your choice.