How dogs are significantly alleviating PTSD
in veterans

Warning: This article contains content about post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide and sexual assault.

If you’re a dog parent, you’ve probably experienced some of the mental health benefits of a furry pal firsthand — research has shown that having a dog reduces loneliness, relieves stress and is even associated with lower blood pressure. For military veterans suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dogs can do even more — they can save lives.

PTSD is a condition that can develop after experiencing a shocking, scary or dangerous event. It's categorized by symptoms like re-experiencing trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, emotional numbness, trouble sleeping, relationship difficulties, sudden anger and reckless and self-destructive behavior. Though anyone can experience PTSD, veterans are particularly vulnerable — the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 7% of veterans will have PTSD at some point in their lifetime, though that percentage doesn’t take into account veterans who served earlier and died before this research. For veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the estimate is 29%; for the Persian Gulf War, it’s 21%.

“[My dog] gave me back my ability to live life. He made it possible to go to new places outside of my comfort zone and forced me to interact with people again.”
_{— Lauren Trathen, veteran and dog parent}

Lauren Trathen is one of those veterans. After a sexual assault while serving in the U.S. Army, Trathen found herself “internally terrified, outwardly angry and in an extremely dark place.” After her Army doctor diagnosed her with PTSD, he suggested a service dog — and Basil came into her life. “[He] gave me back my ability to live life. Basil made it possible to sleep a few hours at night while he took ‘fire watch’ for me. He made it possible to go to new places outside of my comfort zone and forced me to interact with people again,” Trathen says. She’s even gone on to train and breed dogs professionally. “He pushed me to become a better dog handler, a better trainer and a better overall human being. I am going to compete next month in France at a World Herding Championship and if I had never had Basil, I would not be alive today to do that nor many of the other memories and possibilities he helped me create.”

Our understanding of PTSD and potential treatments has been growing ever since it came into our lexicon in the 1970s (largely due to the diagnoses of Vietnam War veterans), but we’ve still got a long way to go — especially when it comes to less traditional approaches, like service dogs. But a recent study from The Organization for Human-Animal Interaction Research and Education (OHAIRE) research lab at the University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine is making big strides, backing up what veterans like Trathen have experienced firsthand with empirical research.

“One of the most exciting findings from this study is that after just three months with a service dog, veterans not only reported lower PTSD symptoms, but also showed improvements to their overall well-being.”
_{— Dr. Kerri Rodriguez, Human-Animal Interaction Researcher, Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona, College of Veterinary Medicine, Fetch Veterinary Advisory Board Member}

Published in June 2024, the study found that veterans who worked with service dogs experienced significantly lower PTSD symptom severity, increased resilience, reduced anger and greater life satisfaction. For Dr. Kerri Rodriguez, one of the study’s authors and a member of the Fetch Veterinary Advisory Board, the timeline of the improvements stands out. “One of the most exciting findings from this study is that after just three months with a service dog, veterans not only reported lower PTSD symptoms, but also showed improvements to their overall well-being,” she says.

This study also incorporated blind ratings of PTSD symptoms, she says — something previous studies have lacked. “This means that independent clinicians, who didn’t know which veterans had service dogs, assessed PTSD symptoms through an objective clinical interview. Their assessments confirmed what veterans reported in their own questionnaires: that service dogs really do make a difference in reducing PTSD symptoms. This adds a strong level of credibility to our findings and helps confirm that these benefits are real, not just based on self-reports or potential biases.”

“When I reflect on why this research matters, I think about the veterans that I’ve spoken with and the things they have shared with me. A common theme is that for many of them, they’re in a dark place,” says the study’s principal investigator and lead of the OHAIRE lab, Dr. Maggie O'Haire. “When they find out that a service dog is an option, there is hope. Then they find out that it’s going to be a two-year wait. Two years is such a long time when you’re in a dark place.”

Sarah Leighton, the study’s lead author, hopes this research will pave the way for increased access to service dog programs. “No medical insurance company will cover the costs associated with acquiring and caring for a service dog. Ultimately, policymakers, clinicians and the public need robust scientific information,” she says. “This work is essential for improving policies, funding and access.”

“[My dog] Axe empowered me to confront life’s challenges head-on rather than retreating into isolation.” 
‍_{— Chad Brown, U.S. Navy veteran and dog parent}

U.S. Navy veteran Chad Brown knows firsthand just how life-changing a service dog can be. “Before Axe entered my life, I was a veteran grappling with the heavy burdens of PTSD, deep depression, and overwhelming anxiety. There were times when the darkness felt insurmountable — moments where I teetered on the edge of despair and even attempted to take my own life,” Brown recalls. “Axe empowered me to confront life’s challenges head-on rather than retreating into isolation.” 

Today, Brown is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of the nonprofits Soul River and Love is King. “The contrast between my life before and after his arrival was astonishing; it felt nothing short of miraculous. He became my steadfast companion during some of my darkest hours, alleviating much of my depression and anxiety. Our bond evolved into a profound friendship; he became not just a friend but my battle buddy — someone who stood by me unwaveringly,” Brown says.

U.S. Army veteran Spencer Coursen found his own battle buddy in his service dog, Ronin. After helping plan and lead more than 80 combat missions during his Army career, he became a U.S. Marshal and then a nationally recognized security and threat management expert.

His frequent travel for work made it easy to avoid his problems. “I had distanced myself from my family because I didn’t love myself enough to be around them and I didn’t want my trauma to rub off on them. When I would go into depressive episodes, I could avoid contact under the cover of work, and it was easy to promote that I was doing okay when I really wasn’t.”

Then came Ronin. “The biggest way Ronin helped me with this was simply by us spending so much time together,” Coursen says. “My suicidal ideation would always ramp-up when I was lonely or didn’t have anything positive to look forward to doing.”

After two years of training together, Ronin could wake Coursen up when he was having night terrors and interrupt anxious behaviors — but most importantly, “he knows me,” Coursen says. “When he saw me rehearsing the preparatory behaviors of suicide, he knew that something wasn't right. And on that one very dark, drunken and depressive night when I thought I had no other choice, he showed me just how wrong I was. Because as I raised the pistol to put it into my mouth, he jumped up onto the couch and laid his body across my arm to stop me from doing so.” A week later, Coursen says he took the first step to make the transition from surviving to thriving, starting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Ronin is still by Coursen’s side — he even inspired Coursen’s lifestyle and apparel brand Ronin 6, which donates proceeds from each sale to organizations helping to prevent veteran suicide. “Am I a work in progress? Yes, I am,” Coursen says. “But damn do I love looking in the morning mirror and seeing the true me being revealed more and more each day.”

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