Professional dog trainer Shannon Walker had trained thousands of dogs over two decades when an Army veteran named Kevin walked into her training facility, Man's Best Friend, in Battle Ground, Washington.
Kevin told Shannon that he suffered from PTSD. He'd survived an intense firefight on his last deployment, then, once home, six of the men and women who'd fought alongside him died by suicide. Kevin felt so anxious in public that he couldn't go many places other than the local VA to be with other vets. That's where someone suggested he get a service dog.
"I thought maybe my Lab, Sammy, could be trained to help me," he said.
Shannon had never trained a service dog for a veteran with PTSD, but her heart went out to Kevin. Her father had served in the Air Force during the Korean War, and it pained her to meet a veteran struggling.
Even though he's no longer wearing a military uniform, he's still paying a price every day for my freedom, she thought, and agreed to train Sammy to be his service dog.
Amazing transformation
Over the next few months, Shannon trained Sammy to "task" for symptoms of PTSD, like interrupting panic attacks and blocking out space for her handler in crowded areas. Then Shannon spent several weeks teaching Kevin how to partner with Sammy as his service dog in public.
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Denne historien er fra April 08, 2024-utgaven av Woman's World.
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Christmas morning marvels
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A Christmas list for love
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Veteran gives Christmas trees a second life!
Oscar Morris knows firsthand how disabled vets are hesitant to use a cane, but today more than 1,000 former soldiers get around with his special canes that aid balance and display the story of their service
"God's love is our greatest gift!"
From her breakout role as Winnie Cooper on the hit TV show The Wonder Years to authoring 11 acclaimed math books to being a wife, mother and the star of three holiday films this season, one would think Danica McKellar has success down to a science. But life has dealt her some outliers, like a tough divorce and a fear of failure. Here, how faith and family keep her joy-filled and stress-free during the holidays
"Help! The holidays are exhausting!"
Here, simple ways to boost your energy levels physically, mentally and emotionally
She lost 118 lbs at age 56!
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"I'm free of my chronic anxiety!"
After suffering from constant worry that impacted her physical and mental health, Joni Ogle, 52, discovered a natural remedy... and its calming effects soon completely changed her life
Indulge and feel great!
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Boost muscle and rev metabolism
Muscle strength naturally declines around 3% each year after middle age, according to University of Pittsburgh research. But simple strategies help counteract age-related muscle loss (known as sarcopenia) by building lean muscle. This boosts your metabolism and accelerates fat burning, all while increasing your strength!
Soothe arthritis aches naturally
Baking cookies with the grandkids, knitting a scarf for a loved one, wrapping gifts-it's the season for fun holiday activities...that may also cause arthritis to flare up. But you don't have to let sore joints stop you from enjoying the most wonderful time of the year. We reveal the easy ways to soothe arthritis pain naturally
