Just How Big the OEF/OIF Veteran Need for Service Dogs Could Be – And What Will Be Required from Us to Meet It
I can’t give you a definitive answer on how large the potential number of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) / Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veteran candidates for service dogs is – there are just way too many variables.
What I can do, though, is give you the official OEF/OIF casualty numbers and go from there: almost 35,000 wounded warriors with varying levels of injuries, including around 900 amputees.
( http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/gwot_reason.pdf and http://www1.va.gov/vetdata/docs/4X6_fall08_sharepoint.pdf )
If You Want More Service Dogs for Veterans, First You Have to Get More Veterans Who Want Service Dogs
“I didn’t think I needed an assistance dog. Then I saw them in action, helping other people with disabilities… Having a CCI assistance dog has really changed my life.” - Jeffrey Adams
Jeffrey Adams, first OEF/OIF vet to get a CCI service dog, with Sharif.
Most of the discussion I see about getting service dogs for disabled veterans is completely backwards – people keep talking about getting more service dogs when what we need to be talking about is getting more disabled veterans who want service dogs.
Great Video of CCI Dogs In Action at the Sacramento Airport Yesterday
I already told you about the CCI graduate team of Wallis Brozman and Caspin (“One Of The Most Touching Service Dog Stories I’ve Ever Read”) – now they along with some of the great Sacramento-area puppy raisers and their dogs in training are in a fantastic two-minute news video just filmed yesterday at the Sacramento airport .
Recent CCI Graduate Passes Away
There’s a very nice – albeit also very sad – story in the Vail paper today about Mylissa Eckdahl, a recent Canine Companions for Independence graduate who passed away last week. Mylissa was only 43 and had only just graduated with her service dog Santana from the CCI Southwest Regional Center in Oceanside, CA in August 2008.
I happened to be out in Oceanside for the graduation that week, but I can’t say I really knew Mylissa other than briefly saying hello. That’s definitely my loss, and reading the article made me wish I’d gotten to know her a lot better.
Why The VA Has Provided No Money For Service Dogs – In Their Own Words
I saw yet another upset comment this morning about “Why doesn’t the VA pay for service dogs?”, so I thought this would be a good time to outline the concise history of their position, especially since I don’t believe it can be found all in one place anywhere. The subject comes up all the time and if you have an interest in this area, you definitely need to know the background so you can have an intelligent discussion and come to an informed opinion.
One Of The Most Touching Service Dog Stories I’ve Ever Read
I read hundreds, if not thousands, of blog posts, Twitter tweets, and news stories daily, and, frankly, I see the term “service dog” tossed around pretty loosely (no surprise to you if you’ve read this blog at all).
I started to write a buncha caveats to clarify what I’m about to say, but decided not to. I’ll just say this – read this story written by Wallis Brozman and then see how your idea of what a service dog is and what it does racks up against it.
“I Don’t Want To Take Someone Else’s Dog.”
Something CCI has heard more than once from potential candidates for a service dog, especially younger veterans, is “I don’t wanna take somebody else’s dog.” Meaning, they think there’s somebody with a more severe need than they have, and they don’t want to take a dog that would be going to that person.
Can’t happen. Lemme say that again – can’t happen.
“Writing A Prescription For A Pet Does Not Transform Fluffy Or Fido Into A Service Animal.”
Amen.
I saw this quoted in a response by someone to an earlier letter in a small newspaper in Northern California today (“Will the real assistance animal please stand up?”). The response then goes on to talk about how dogs have to be trained for specific tasks to be considered service dogs.
Tough Questions You Need To Ask About Every Service Dog Organization
Last time I talked about how you can’t know if a dog is really a service dog, and ended up promising I’d tell you how you can have a huge impact on the overall quality of service dog placements, and why it’s absolutely critical that you do. (I’ll forewarn you that this is a longer post than I like to write, but it’s that important.)
How Do I Know If That’s Really A Service Dog?
Simple – you don’t. And you probably never will.
Lotta things I could show you, but here’s a direct quote from the Department of Justice’s proposed changes to 28 CFR 36, “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities”, the part of the ADA that addresses service animals:
keep looking »Proposed training standards.
About Me
I'm very active with Canine Companions for Independence as a former member of the Veterans Task Force and puppy raiser. Retired US Air Force Chief Master Sergeant with my last assignments at the Air Force Academy as the Fourth Group Sergeant Major and Dean of Faculty Superintendent.
I'm actively looking for a paid position doing what I already do full-time as a volunteer.
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