[nagdu] Steve Dale's column on service dogs for veterans in Chicago Tribune

[Ed and Toni Eames]

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>Franken Barks Up A Tree to Help Veterans
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>By Steve Dale
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>Newly elected Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) could 
>have chosen any topic for his first effort. 
>Impressed by seeing how a service dog changed 
>the life of an injured veteran, and learning 
>about the great difficulty and expense involved 
>in procuring the dogs, Franken set out to make 
>service dogs easier to come by for vets. A bill 
>he introduced to do just that was tacked onto 
>the Defense Authorization Act, easily passed by the U.S. Senate July 23.
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>The bill is unique, one which Franken described 
>in a phone interview as laying the groundwork 
>for a "pilot program," which he says will lead 
>to a study on the benefits of service dogs.
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>"I'm sure the bill will net a return on the investment over time," he says.
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>The idea of helping veterans get service dogs 
>grew out of an inauguration event where Franken 
>met Capt. Luis Carlos Montalvan, an intelligence 
>officer who served in Iraq. Montalvan was 
>injured in an assassination attempt. Today, he 
>walks with a cane and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
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>"The Captain told me how he would never be 
>functioning in society if it wasn't for his 
>beautiful Golden Retriever (service dog), 
>Tuesday," says Franken. "And he certainly 
>wouldn't have made the inauguration event 
>because he had become agoraphobic (fearful of 
>being in public places). I learned what Tuesday 
>can do for him. It's amazing stuff. Tuesday can 
>anticipate and fend off panic attacks. He senses 
>Luis' breathing patterns and perspiration and 
>then nuzzles him to calm him down. He lets Luis 
>know when it's time for his medication, and 
>won't allow him not to take it. And he'll wake 
>Luis up if he's experiencing a nightmare."
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>Ed and Toni Eames of Fresno, CA, have been a 
>part of the assistance dog movement for decades, 
>authoring books and as founders of the 
>International Association of Assistance Dogs 
>Partners (IAADP). Toni explains that there are 
>three types of assistance dogs: guide dogs to 
>assist the blind (as Ed and Toni are), hearing 
>dogs (to help people with difficulty hearing), 
>and service dogs, who perform a wide array of 
>jobs. All three types of dogs are needed by 
>vets, but while the Veteran's Administration 
>(VA) already provides many guide dogs, hearing 
>and service dogs are the ones most in demand.
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>"When we began IAADP, service dogs were 
>primarily trained for people using wheelchairs, 
>and that was it," says Ed. "Then, we began using 
>service dogs to alert to the onset of the 
>seizures. Then, some folks thought, if a dog can 
>do that, why not train dogs to alert to the 
>onset of a diabetic low, or a heart episode or a 
>panic attack." The Eames' new DVD, "Partners in 
>Independence," demonstrates what all these dogs can do.
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>Due to the number of soldiers returning from 
>Iraq and Afghanistan with head injuries, 
>post-traumatic stress disorder, amputations and 
>spinal cord injuries, the demand for service 
>dogs may be at an all-time high. Adding to that 
>demand are requests from civilians for service 
>dogs who can do everything from alert to peanut 
>products (for children with peanut allergies) to help kids with autism.
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>Of course, hearing dogs can alert 
>hearing-impaired people when a fire alarm is 
>blaring or the phone rings, and service dogs can 
>help retrieve items for quadriplegics. But 
>service dogs "do far more," says Franken. 
>"Veterans are telling me how their dogs have 
>broken their isolation. If you have a dog, you 
>have to take out the dog. For people in a 
>wheelchair, it makes them more approachable. 
>Service dogs enhance their independence, making 
>them feel a part of the community. Taking care 
>of a dog is a responsibility, giving them 
>another being to care for and to think about 
>aside from themselves. And then there's what 
>dogs do for any of us. Dogs raise our moods; that's been proven."
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>The cost of training service dogs doesn't come 
>cheap. Franken's bill calls for the VA to train 
>and match 50 dogs with 50 veterans. The training 
>for every other subsequent service dog will be 
>paid for by the VA, with private agencies 
>participating big time to find dogs, train and 
>match them with veterans (as well as civilians). 
>Franken says costs run about $50,000 for each 
>dog, including training of the dog and the 
>partner ultimately matched with the animal, as 
>well as care for the dog and staff expenses during the training period.
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>"It's not inexpensive, but the quality of life 
>change for these individuals is worth it," says 
>Franken. "I believe the program will easily pay 
>for itself. We'll study it, but I bet there may 
>be fewer drugs needed to alleviate depression 
>and other psychological-related problems, even 
>fewer suicides, which we know is high among 
>veterans. There will likely be fewer human 
>caretakers needed for people with service dogs. 
>And many of these people will be able to 
>contribute to society, where previously they weren't."
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>Currently, the VA does provide reimbursement for 
>veterinary care for guide dogs (those who assist 
>the visually impaired) but not service or 
>hearing dogs – a sticking point for Franken, 
>which he says he'll work on. He agrees that 
>something ultimately needs to be done to help 
>not only with initial adoptions but lifetime care.
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>During his Senate campaign, Franken's family dog 
>passed away. "I know how much dogs mean to a 
>family, and I care about veterans' needs," he 
>says. "I'm so glad this has moved forward."
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>© 2009, Tribune Media Services, Steve Dale