Retired Army First Sgt. Timothy Siebenmorgen, left, and retired Marine Corps Cpl. Mark Atkinson sits with their service dogs, Rosie and Lexi, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Kan., during a group training session. Both veterans are part of Dogs 4 Valor which helps retired veterans and first responders in the Kansas City area work with their service dogs to help them manage depression, anxiety and other challenges . AP photo

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) – After working in a crowded and dangerous internment camp in Iraq, Air Force Staff Sgt. Heather O’Brien came home with her anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

An inflatable labradoodle and a program in the Kansas City area helped her get back on her feet.

Dogs 4 Valor, run by the Olathe, Kansas-based organization The Battle Within, helps retired veterans and first responders work with their service dogs to help them manage depression, anxiety and other challenges.

“Often the veteran with severe PTSD is homebound,” said Sandra Sindeldecker, Dogs 4 Valor program manager. “They are isolated. They are very nervous. They will not make eye contact. Some don’t leave the house at all.

The program includes both group training and individual training. The goal is to get the veteran and the dog comfortable and understanding each other. The group organizes outings to help veterans regain their footing in public places like airports. The program also offers free mental health therapy.

Veterans and dogs graduate after six to nine months, but group gatherings continue.

There is growing evidence of the value of service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD. A small study published in JAMA Network Open in June examined a program run by K9s For Warriors. The program’s service dogs are taught to detect a veteran’s physical signs of distress and can interrupt panic attacks and nightmares with a loving nudge.

Researchers compared 81 veterans who received service dogs with 75 veterans on the waiting list for a trained dog. After three months, PTSD symptoms improved in both groups, but veterans with dogs saw greater improvement on average.

O’Brien, 40, remembers that the camp where she worked in Iraq sometimes had more than 20,000 inmates. Violence and riots were common and left her with deep anxiety.

“When I left the military, I just assumed that as a veteran you were supposed to be on edge all the time,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien’s mother spotted the frisky poodle-Lab mix on Facebook and convinced her daughter to adopt the dog, which she named Albus. Months later, O’Brien discovered Dogs 4 Valor and the pair joined the program in October 2023.

O’Brien says she can now go out in public again – she even went on vacation to Branson, Missouri, “things I never thought I would do really, probably ever.”

Mark Atkinson, 38, served in Afghanistan as a corporal in the Marine Corps. He returned home with post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, causing insomnia and anxiety. He adopted Lexi, now 5 years old, in 2020.

Lexi, a muscular Cane Corso breed, needed Atkinson as much as he needed her. Her previous owner had chained Lexi before returning her. Since joining Dogs 4 Valor, the two have been able to hang out and enjoy life.

“I don’t really like leaving the house because it’s safe there, you know?” » said Atkinson. “And having Lexi has made me more outgoing.”

Having a group of veterans facing the same challenges also helped, Atkinson said.

“We come from the same backgrounds, different branches,” Atkinson said. “Same problems. You know, PTSD or traumatic brain injuries. And they are all very welcoming too. There is no judgment.

O’Brien compared life with Albus to being in a relationship with a sometimes arrogant best friend who often wants to hang out.

“Best friend constantly wants to make you do things that make you nervous,” O’Brien laughed, acknowledging that it’s ultimately up to her.

“I have to decide to walk away and just deal with life,” O’Brien said. “And so it’s been difficult. And it’s still difficult at times, but it’s becoming manageable.

Some veterans said their family relationships have improved since they started the program.

“I’m able to talk and not lose my bearings and just get along with people without being as stressed and as much anxiety,” Atkinson said. “Or even if I do, she (Lexi) is there with me.”

Timothy Siebenmorgen, 61, said his relationships have also improved with the help of his one-year-old American bulldog, Rosie, and Dogs 4 Valor, which he joined in July. He served in the Marines and Army, deployed 18 times.

“You’re in the military, you’re kind of taught not to show weakness,” Siebenmorgen said. “So you think you can handle anything yourself and you honestly believe that. And then you realize you can’t do it alone.

Veterans said the dogs and the program have given them new hope and a renewed ability to move forward.

“I got my life back,” O’Brien said.