The Bridge Back to Life: The Rehabilitation Journey of Fighters with Post-Trauma and Service Dogs
- Background
When people talk about injuries from military or security service, it’s very easy to imagine physical injuries that are visible to the eye. But in recent years we all understand that the invisible injuries, those that lock the person within themselves and accompany them at every moment day and night, are sometimes the most complex to cope with. Post-trauma (PTSD) can distance a person from family and friends and harm their ability to lead a normal lifestyle. People who experienced extreme events often find themselves avoiding leaving the house, suffering from severe nightmares and experiencing unexpected anxiety attacks in the middle of the street.
At exactly this point, where the words sometimes run out and the existing treatment doesn’t always provide a full response on its own, the partners on four legs enter the picture – the service and rehabilitation dogs, who can create real change in daily life and bring hope back to places where it was almost lost.
In short: a service dog for post-trauma is trained to perform tasks that assist the person in times of distress, such as interrupting an anxiety response, creating personal space, waking from a nightmare and assisting in returning to the here and now. The dog doesn’t replace medical or mental treatment, but integrates alongside it as part of the rehabilitation process.
- Explanation
How does the dog become a rehabilitative companion that assists in real time?
The process of pairing a service dog with a fighter isn’t a technical matter of training and commands, but a real matching of souls. The dog undergoes careful and prolonged training in order to learn to identify personal signs it was trained to respond to, such as a change in the breathing pattern, restlessness or repetitive movements that appear ahead of a state of overwhelm.
In such moments, the dog is guided to act actively: it can place its head on the knees, create initiated touch or produce personal space between the person and a crowded environment. This action may interrupt the sequence of distress, assist in regulation and bring the fighter back to the ground, to the here and now. In nightmares, the dog can be trained to wake the person gently, turn on the light in the room using a special switch and stay by their side until they wake up, orient themselves and return to a sense of security.
A controlled study published in 2024 in JAMA Network Open, which included 156 military personnel and veterans with PTSD, found that incorporating a service dog alongside the regular treatment was associated with a decrease in the severity of post-trauma, anxiety and depression symptoms and with an improvement in psychosocial functioning after three months. The study reinforces the understanding that a service dog can be a significant rehabilitative tool, as part of a broad therapeutic envelope and not as a substitute for it.
- Continued
The supporting array: professional and bureaucratic guidance in Israel
The one who leads the official process for IDF disabled veterans and those of the security forces is the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Defense. In cases where suitable eligibility is determined, the division examines the assistance and funding track according to the person’s personal situation, recognition and functional needs. The understanding is that a service dog isn’t a luxury or an ordinary pet, but a partner that undergoes dedicated training in order to perform tasks that can improve independence and quality of life.
The Disabled IDF Veterans Organization can assist with guidance, with the rehabilitative envelope and with realizing rights vis-à-vis the relevant parties, so that the fighters who gave their heart and soul for the country won’t be left alone facing the system.
The official website of the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Defense
The official website of the Disabled IDF Veterans Organization
Ultimately, the authentic bond built between the dog and the person is the bridge that helps fighters gradually return to daily life. With the dog’s help it’s possible to return to activities that in the past seemed impossible: to go out to the public park with the children, to go to the supermarket during rush hours or simply to sleep a few consecutive hours at night.
- Summary
At A-ZK9 ISRAEL I, Adam Zeevi, take an active part in the guidance, matching and personal training of service dogs. I invite you to get in touch with me, to understand the needs together and to examine how it’s possible to build a professional, stable and responsible partnership that will accompany you on the journey back to independence and routine.
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