Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans helps veterans heal through 4 paws | KD Sunday Spotlight
Buddy, a very smart and sweet German Shepherd, may have his favorite game of playing catch the ball, but his favorite person is Debbie Ritchey.
"Are you a good boy? Yes, you are," said Ritchey with enthusiasm as she scratched Buddy's head adoringly.
Buddy is a sweetheart, and so much more; he's her best friend and her service dog.
"He's always 6 feet away from me; at least usually he's closer," she said.
Close enough to detect when Ritchey feels anxious. She said,
"Buddy is just my hero, as a veteran with PTSD," Ritchey said. "I struggle a lot with a lot of anxiety and always looking behind me and worried about my surroundings."
That worry comes after her time serving in the Army during the Gulf War.
"I was more than happy to serve my country," said Ritchey.
During her service, her trauma happened when she sought help.
"I had some traumatic experiences, mainly with a doctor," she said. "It left me in a place when I came back that it was too terrifying for me to seek help."
The trauma manifested in Ritchey isolating at home for years.
"Oh, I would say probably over 20," she explained. "I couldn't work, I couldn't do much of anything. I was very secluded, and I felt very helpless."
However, her helplessness turned around after meeting William "Bill" Jeffcoat.
"My dog in Vietnam was Fraulein," he said, showing us a picture of his dog. As a military veteran himself and the president of Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans, he knows how service dogs make a difference.
"I walk this earth because of that dog," Jeffcoat said. "We have funded over 55 Veterans with 55 dogs."
They raise the funds to buy the dogs, like Buddy, who are then paired with military vets.
"These dogs are trained to mitigate both the visible and invisible disabilities facing our veterans," said Jeffcoat.
Back in 2012, according to a report from the Veterans Association, 22 veterans committed suicide every day, and one is one too many.
Those dogs help with service-related disabilities like post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorders, and mobility issues. With millions of smell receptors in their noses, they can sense when that vet needs help. Jeffcoat said it's huge.
Ritchey gave us an example of how it works and said, "When I have nightmares, Buddy wakes me up."
Now woken up to the possibilities in life, Buddy's given Ritchey courage. She said,
"To take the steps to go out of my house to seek help and to want to open up the opportunity for other people," she said.
"I get so much joy when people come up to me and ask me. How do you get a service dog? And I can share with them how easy it is," said Ritchey. "It is such a blessing."
A blessing from her canine companion, rescuing military vets one friendship at a time.
The nonprofit is always looking for volunteers to join and for anyone who wants to donate. You can find more information on Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans by clicking here.
