WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — May is mental health awareness month, and for many veterans, they come home with mental health illnesses associated with combat. It can be an extremely lonely experience for many for them, but it doesn’t have to be.
“She’s very hyper. She has a very high drive for toys and balls and kongs and stuff like that,” said Britney Simpson, talking about one of her best friends, a mental health support dog.
She received Marlene two years ago but it’s not the first time she’s befriended a Belgian Malinois.
“I was a canine handler. So, I worked with two other Belgian Malinois,” said Simpson.
Simpson joined the military in 2005 and she’s been deployed four times.
“Three to Afghanistan and one to Iraq,” said Simpson.
She knows the toll it can take on the mental health of our men and women in uniform.
“They fly you out where whoever needs you. They pick you up as a dog team and it’s just you and your dog and you go and you attach to these different units and you go look for IEDs and protect the guys that you’re with,” recounts Simpson.
Simpson said some of her friends didn’t make it back home alive. The stress of combat can lead to mental illness among veterans. According to Veterans Affairs, seven out of every 100 veterans will experience post-traumatic stress disorder.
Smith received Marlene in 2021 from Holzerland Protection Dogs. The company is giving two of these puppies to veterans as emotional support dogs.
“We’ve found that – just from our previous giveaways – veterans have said that the dogs help them emotionally if they’re having an episode related to PTSD,” said Brianna Holzerland, owner of Holzerland Protection Dogs.
The company has given out about 12 emotional support dogs since they started the giveaway program, but they really saw a need for these dogs during the pandemic and that’s when started giving away one to a veteran every three months.
“This time around, we’re actually giving away two puppies to veterans. So, we’re trying to make one local and the other one can be located anywhere in the country,” said Holzerland.
You can nominate a veteran who you think would benefit from an emotional support dog by shooting a video or writing an email explaining in detail the veteran’s experience in the military and their experience with Belgian Malinois.
Here are the three requirements:
- The veteran has to have experience with Belgian Malinois
- Be a United States veteran,
- Live with PTSD
Talking about mental health
“The key is to look for significant changes in mood or behavior,” said clinical psychologist, Chris Loftis. “So, if you notice a veteran is withdrawing more, more quick to anger, irritable, struggling with sleep, maybe having nightmares of flashbacks, certainly using more drugs, drinking more, those are all signs that a veteran is struggling.”
Loftis said loved ones should intervene if they see these signs.
He also talked about the VA’s new campaign called “Today I Am.” The VA’s website features veterans who have inspiring messages of a better life through mental health care.
“Sometimes, hearing the stories of other veterans will give veterans themselves the language and the confidence and the comfort to talk about what they’re going through,” said Loftis.
- To nominate a veteran for a free mental health support dog, click here
- To hear inspirational stories of other veterans and to find help, click here
