Help find women who stolen Vietnam veteran's service dogs!

SAD UPDATE

Vietnam veteran dies before being reunited with stolen service dog; suspects arrested

update

Osceola sheriff: Cameras captured woman stealing veteran's service dog

Two women distract veteran, steal service dog in Osceola County

WESH 2
November 2, 2018

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A Vietnam veteran had his service dog stolen Sunday during an altercation with a woman, Osceola deputies said.

Deputies said the 67-year-old Joseph Hanson who has post-traumatic stress disorder was at Old Town in Kissimmee with his two Pomeranian service dogs.

Authorities said a woman got into an altercation with the veteran and another woman came behind them and unleashed one of the dogs, named Kira. 

Hanson told WESH 2 News a woman confronted him yelling and cursing.

"During that time, that's when the other lady, who I didn't even know was there, until I saw (surveillance) video, that's when she came up and grabbed the dog." Hanson said.
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PTSD Veteran and dog rescued each other in Tampa

Bay Area veteran, shelter pup with anxiety find support in one another

FOX 13
Jen Epstein
November 2, 2018

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Mark and Molly have a very special bond. Their friendship goes far beyond the typical human-pet relationship.

"We pretty much do everything together. You talk about the old adage of boy meets dog; you're looking at it," said veteran Mark Starr.

Molly provides Mark with the emotional support he needs to get through each day. Mark is a Navy and Air Force veteran who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, and Molly is the one thing that keeps his anxiety and depression at bay.

"If I'm having difficulty or having a hard day, she's right on me. She wants to play and she gets me out of bed," said Mark.

Mark and Molly's friendship is give and take. Before he adopted her a year ago, Molly was a stray found walking the streets after Hurricane Irma.

"She has anxiety. She's definitely scared of thunderstorms. So, we have to work together when we have bad days," said Mark. "I play a little classical music for her, and I get down on the ground and hug her until until the storm goes."
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Hope for a better future came with 4 paws and a tail

Bill White: Troubled veterans are paired with service dogs. 'This guy's my world'

The Morning Call
Bill White
October 27, 2018

“Many of our veterans have difficulty engaging in treatment due to challenges with verbal processing, anxiety, isolation, etc. In a sentence, you have helped veterans become ‘unstuck’ and offered hope for a better future.” Laura Fahringer of the Coatesville VA

Harold Siegfried and his service dog Phelan (center) meet Oct. 14 with Lt. Col. Mark Phelan's widow, Brenda (right), her daughter April Chau and granddaughters Cora (far left) and Ada. (Harold Siegfried/Contributed photo)

Harold Siegfried was volunteering at ArtsQuest’s Christkindlmarkt two years ago, accompanied by his service dog, Phelan.

Siegfried and Phelan were brought together by Tails of Valor, Paws of Honor, a nonprofit program that trains service dogs to interact with and become companions for veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and physical disabilities.

All the dogs, rescued from area animal shelters as puppies and trained for on average 18 months, are named for military personnel who were killed in action or who committed suicide after returning home. Phelan was named for Lt. Col. Mark Phelan, who was killed in 2004 by a car bomb in Iraq.

A man who was visiting from East Norriton, Montgomery County, approached Siegfried that day and asked about his dog, a black Lab mix. Siegfried began telling him about the program and that each dog was named for a fallen serviceman or servicewoman.

When he told the man that his dog was named after Lt. Col. Mark Phelan, the man dropped to his knees and began crying.

“What did I say?” Siegfried asked the man’s wife.

“That was his brother,” she replied.
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Fake Service Dogs hurting those who need real ones

PTSD Sufferer Says Increasingly Businesses Are Saying No To Service Animals
CBS Miami
By Lauren Pastrana
October 5, 2018

“We’re being hurt. We’re truly being hurt by those not following these regulations and laws that are in place to protect us.”  Eduardo Dieguez

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Eduardo Dieguez believes in second chances, for himself and for his four-legged friends.

“If it wasn’t for one of these guys,” Dieguez says referring to his dog, “I wouldn’t be around.”

With the help of Paws 4 You Rescue, Dieguez trains shelter dogs to be service animals.

“We’re giving them a role to play in somebody’s health,” he said.

He doesn’t just train them, he needs one, as well.

Dieguez suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“My PTSD stems from abuse when I was a young child,” Dieguez said.

Add in military service and more than a decade as a law enforcement officer, and Dieguez says he knew he needed help.

“That just intensified my fight or flight. And it usually went to fight. Dogs were the only thing that helped bring me down from all that fear and anxiety that I had,” Dieguez explained.

But Dieguez says it’s getting tougher to take his service animal with him in to public places.

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Montana:Veteran's Service Dog Stolen

Veteran pleads for service dog’s return
NBC Montana
by McKayla Haack
September 12th 2018

MISSOULA, Mont. — A veteran was traveling through western Montana Monday when he says his dog was taken from his truck early Monday morning.

Ryan Jones served in the Marines and suffers from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His dog, Masik, helped calm him down and makes him feel more comfortable in public settings.

He transports RV’s for a living and was stopped at the Travel Centers of America at the Wye, west of Missoula, late Sunday night. Masik’s back leg is shorter than the others and it’s hard for him to go upstairs. That’s why Jones said he left Masik in the truck with the windows cracked and the vehicle running. When he returned, the dog, cash and a tuner were all missing.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was just shocked, angry, I didn’t know what to think. I mean I’ve had to leave him in the truck before, but I just, it never crossed my mind that someone would take him,” said Jones.
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Veteran with PTSD Service Dog part of Casino Security

Vista veteran and service dog kick off casino's new six-legged security force
San Diego Union Tribune
Pam Kragen
August 12, 2018

Four years ago, Tipton said he wouldn’t have been able to strike up a conversation with strangers and even found himself incapable of cracking a smile. Tipton said having Daisy and the self-esteem of a holding a job “have made me human again.”

After struggling for years with post-traumatic stress disorder, 22-year Marine veteran John Tipton decided three years ago to get a trained service dog. The Vista man calls the day he took Daisy home in May 2015 both the best day and the worst day of his life.

John Tipton of Vista and his service dog Daisy do their rounds at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula. The 22-year Marine Corps veterans and his dog are the first of nine human-canine security teams Pechanga plans to hire. (Pechanga Resort and Casino)

Because although the 4-year-old black Lab/terrier mix helped heal the crippling anxiety that had turned Tipton into a housebound “grumpy grandpa,” he couldn’t find anyone willing to hire a man with a full-time service dog.

“It was a pretty rough couple of years,” said Tipton, 62. “I’d walk into job interviews and they’d take one look at me and then look at the dog … You could see it in their eyes and hear it in the tone of their voice. They wondered what was wrong with me.”

But those years of isolation ended in mid-June, when Tipton and Daisy became the first six-legged safety patrol team at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. Over the next year, Pechanga plans to hire a total of 10 veteran-service dog teams.

The idea was conceived by Robert Krauss, vice president of public safety at Pechanga. Before joining Pechanga’s security team 21 years ago, Krauss spent four years in the Marine Corps. He said military veterans make up a substantial portion of his department’s 300-strong staff because their leadership qualities make them great workers.
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Veteran combat medic, battled cancer and PTSD but puppy made him cry

Army Dad With PTSD Breaks Down in Tears as He's Surprised With Service Dog
Inside Edition
INSPIRATIONAL
August 7, 2018

A Texas dad suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder was moved to tears when his family surprised him with a service dog.

Rudy Pena, of Amarillo, couldn’t believe his eyes as he read a letter his kids Aubrie, Trever and Adrian presented him, explaining that they were giving him a service dog to help combat his night terrors and depression.

“I’m very lucky to have a family that cares and loves me enough to find him for me,” he told T and T Creative.

Pena has been an Army Combat Medic for the last 10 years, doing two deployments in Iraq before he was diagnosed with cancer.

He has been battling PTSD since returning from service.

“We’ve tried everything possible but as most veterans know, there is no cure and memories never go away," his wife Samantha said. “He has seen his brothers die in his arms and the memories haunt him."
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PTSD Veteran sleeps outside Rehab, service dog not welcomed

Combat Veteran Sleeps Outside with Service Dog When Denied Access to Rehab Facility
FOX 16 News
By: Rebecca Jeffrey
Jul 29, 2018

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Justin Simmons knows what war looks like.

"I hear screaming and yelling, I hear explosions."

It's a scene that now lives in his head.

"You know, there's some things that don't go away," Simmons said.

The Iraq combat veteran is taking on a new battle for his best friend.

"This guy's kept me out of more trouble than any jail commitment," he said looking at his service dog Blue.

He says a PTSD episode landed him in jail back in 2011.

He says last week he was sentenced to treatment at the Recovery Centers of Arkansas in North Little Rock until a bed opened up at the VA.

"I was automatically court ordered and if I left I would go to jail," he said.

While he was welcome inside the RCA, Blue was not because he didn't have the right certification.

"You're not allowed to deny me access with my service dog. It's not legal," Simmons said.

Blue is a registered service animal through the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Veteran's Service Dog Wrigley Found Safe!

UPDATE: Service dog that went missing after veteran’s car was stolen found safely
WTTV 4 News
July 18, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A Marine veteran’s missing service dog was safely found on Wednesday.

IMPD asked the public to help find 2-year-old Wrigley on Tuesday after its owner’s vehicle was stolen on the south side of Indianapolis.

The vehicle was later recovered on the east side, but police say the dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, was not inside.
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"Soldier On Service Dogs" is in danger of closing its doors

Future Of Soldiers On Service Dogs Uncertain After CEO Resigns
KFSM News
Beraiah Baker
July 13, 2018

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- "Soldier On Service Dogs" is in danger of closing its doors for good. The news comes as their CEO and Founder Angie Pratt announces her retirement and plans to sell the building, leaving the non-profit one week to find short-term funding to keep their doors open.

The unique program pairs local veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury with a trained dog at no cost.

"Roger for instance saved my life. I have flashbacks I have nightmares, bad nightmares." said Jonathan Christopherson. He teared up at the thought of the life-saving program ending.
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Colorado Springs Veteran has courage to talk about his struggles

Service dog donated to veteran in honor of man who lost his life to suicide
NBC 9 News
Katie Eastman
July 9, 2018

KUSA — Talking to dogs is easy, but talking to people is tough, especially when those people are reporters with cameras.

But Mac Pickett, a 50-year-old from Colorado Springs, has the courage to talk about his struggles now that he has a 13-week old German Shepherd by his side.

Beres is donating the puppy, Apollo, to Pickett to help with his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Pickett is talking in hopes that his story will help someone else.

"I just put my fears to the side," he said. "If I’m just able to help one person."

After 21 years in the army, Sgt. 1st Class Pickett was diagnosed with a mental illness that kept him inside, scared to talk to people.

He understands the silence that Aaron Alexander suffered.

"July 10, 2016, my son Aaron Alexander at 19 years old died by suicide," said Wendy Galloway.

When Galloway's son joined the National Guard, he didn't seek help for depression because he worried the military would kick him out.

Two years after his death, the stigma remains.
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Community searches for Veteran's Service Dog

A community comes together to help Pennsylvania trucker, Army veteran find dog lost at Lake Station truck stop
NWI Times
Dylan Wallace
Jun 29, 2018 Updated 4 hrs ago

It wasn't until a few days ago when they questioned workers at the truck stop that one revealed they saw another truck driver scoop up a dog and take it with him. The employee's description of the dog matched Jade's, so Morris and DiBenedetto are certain it was her.

Gilson is from Pennsylvania and is a U.S. Army veteran who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The distance between his home and Lake Station hasn't stopped him from trying to find his dog. Co-workers give him routes that allow him to pass through Indiana, so he can stop by.

Truck driver Doug Gilson stopped by the TA truck stop in Lake Station on Thursday morning and stared at the empty seat next to him.

"It's tough looking over at that seat, and she's not there," Gilson said.

Just three weeks prior, on June 8, Gilson was driving to Iowa when he made a pit stop at that same truck stop around 1 a.m.

Accompanying him was his service dog, Jade — a female Australian shepherd and companion of Gilson's for 12 years.
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Vietnam Veteran and PTSD Service Dog Kicked Off Bus?

Veteran, dog kicked off city bus highlights service animal policy
KRQE News
By: Jackie Kent
Posted: Jun 26, 2018

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) - ABQ Ride says one of its drivers did not follow its policy when he kicked a veteran and his service dog off a city bus.

"They treat you different because you have a service animal and I don't think that's fair," said Jesse Gordon about his latest ABQ Ride experience.

The Vietnam veteran said he tried to hop on a city bus on June 18, with his service animal, Jackson, to get to a doctor's appointment. Yet, bus surveillance video shows he never got past the bus stop at Eubank and Central.

"The driver of the bus looked at the animal and says, 'That's not a service animal.'" Gordon said.

He said the bus driver claimed Gordon's PTSD was not a recognized disability that would allow him to have the vested dog.
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Prisoners inspired by training service dogs

FOX 11 Investigates benefits, cost savings of inmate dog training
Mark Leland
May 23, 2018

“I think it’s helped me more understand who I am and what I can do and actually see my potential rather than let past failures define who I am,” explained AJ, another inmate in the program.

OSHKOSH (WLUK) -- Dogs are helping to save Wisconsin taxpayers money. Specifically, dogs being trained in some of our state prisons.

For the past five years, dogs have been locked up with a handful of the prisoners at Oshkosh Correctional in Oshkosh. The dogs didn’t commit any crimes; they’re part of a community outreach program.

The prison teamed up with Journey Together Service Dog Incorporated, a nonprofit that provides trained dogs to help crime victims and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I’ve been working with the Journey program for 18 weeks,” said Angela Kalsbeek of Fond du Lac.

Kalsbeek is an Army veteran who suffers from PTSD. She was paired with a Briard named Echo, trained in the prison to help Kalsbeek feel comfortable leaving her home.
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PTSD veterans with service dogs need to pay attention

This is our dog Murray. He is not a service dog. He is a lot of things, but he has not bee trained to be a service dog.

As much as I love taking him places with us, I need to understand that there are others afraid of him. After all, his head is up to my hip. Yep, a big boy! That thing behind him is a tile cutter, so you can judge his size.

Ok, that said, this is from the ADA

Q4. If someone's dog calms them when having an anxiety attack, does this qualify it as a service animal?

A. It depends. The ADA makes a distinction between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal. However, if the dog's mere presence provides comfort, that would not be considered a service animal under the ADA.

Q5. Does the ADA require service animals to be professionally trained?

A. No. People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program.

Q6. Are service-animals-in-training considered service animals under the ADA?

A. No. Under the ADA, the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. However, some State or local laws cover animals that are still in training.

The law is not very clear and there needs to be a lot more members of Congress-State and Federal-to get this right, make it clear and make sure there are penalties for people just wanting to "fake service dog" giving real ones a bad reputation. Want to lose your rights? That is the surest way it will happen.

This is your right and your obligation.

Ohio veteran cited for bringing his service dog to VA hospital
By: NBC4 Staff
Updated: May 20, 2018

CINCINNATI (WCMH) - A military veteran in Ohio has a service dog to help him deal with his PTSD, but the vet got in legal trouble when he brought the dog with him to a VA hospital.

Brandon Rimmer calls his 4-month-old lab Old Glory his service dog for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The dog is a medical necessity. I'm covered by the ADA," he said.

Rimmer was a K-9 handler in the Air Force. He served two combat tours in explosive detection.

"You can't adjust back to civilian life. You can't explain it unless you've experienced it."

When Rimmer was admitted to the Cincinnati VA hospital for tests Wednesday, Old Glory went with him.

But, that resulted in the VA Police issuing a citation to federal court.

"My PTSD service dog, it's not recognized by the VA," he said. "It's recognized by the ADA, but it's not recognized by the VA. So, I'm in violation of federal law."

Cincinnati VA police chief David Bartos told WCPO he believes the dog is a puppy, not a service animal trained to perform tasks for the disabled.

"Emotional support is not a task," Bartos said, citing national VA guidelines.

That's where things get confusing. ADA guidelines say a service animal can be used to calm people with PTSD.

Different federal agencies have differing regulations.
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Mason City police chief, family raising service dog for disabled veteran

Battle buddies in training: Mason City police chief, family raising service dog for disabled veteran
THE SUMMIT-TRIBUNE
MARY LODEN
May 16, 2018 Updated 8 min ago

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley was putting together a community services guide after the police station received a mental health planning grant. Brinkley said they partner with local services and he reached out to FAVA to make sure veterans are not underserved.

The Brinkley family with Battle Buddy Bravo. (from left) Eli, 14, Lisa, Bravo, Jeff and Abi, 12.

FOREST CITY | On Saturday, May 5, Forest City residents got to meet the second wave of Battle Buddies, Bravo and Zulu, 12-week-old Labrador puppies, who are in training as service dogs for wounded military veterans.

The puppies were at the Deployment with FAVA 4K Walk, Run, Salute! held at Pilot Knob State Park. The event raised funds for a matching grant program.

The pups, named after the military alphabet, have been placed with host families and have begun their 1 1/2- to 2-year training program. The third puppy, Oscar, and the fourth, Jackson, named after a military base like his predecessors, three years ago, were sent to a partner training facility in the state of Washington, since finding training families can be difficult.

“It is a huge commitment,” said Amanda Eldridge, Battle Buddies coordinator at Family Alliance for Veterans of America (FAVA) in Forest City. “Consistency is super important. Sometimes, people are harder to train than their dogs.”
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Operation Delta Dog Empowers Veteran To Heal PTSD

Marine Veteran Credits Operation Delta Dog With Helping Him
WBZ 4 News
By Katie Brace
April 7, 2018

HOLLIS, N.H. (CBS) – Just leaving the house was scary and overwhelming for Massachusetts veteran Brian Callahan – until he found Maggie.

“She’s been a life-saver,” Callahan said of his beloved service dog during an interview with WBZ-TV at his Dracut, Mass. home.

As an active duty Marine, Lance Corporal Callahan served three overseas deployments.

It costs Operation Delta Dog $25,000 to train, house and prepare each dog before they go to their new forever home with a veteran.

But the four-legged therapist costs the veteran nothing.

“It’s made it 100 times better,” said Alisha Callahan of the help that her husband’s service dog, Maggie, has given to him and their family.

Maggie is a calming force for the Marine veteran, by waking him up before a night terror and staying vigilant when they go out so he can relax.

“She’s given back my family. I get to go out with the kids,” Brian Callahan said.

The family even accomplished a trip that once seemed impossible: a trip to Disney World.
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Iraq Veteran and PTSD Service Dog Turned Away from Restaurant

Valley Veteran Turned Away from Harlingen Fast Food Restaurant
KRGV News
Angelo Vargas
Posted: Apr 06, 2018

HARLINGEN – A Rio Grande Valley veteran who went to war is now fighting to educate.

Marine Veteran David Floyd, his son and service dog, Bella, were turned away from a Harlingen restaurant.

Floyd says Bella is always next to him.

"When she has the vest on, she knows she's working. She follows me wherever I go,” he says.

Floyd says his service includes two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan aboard a ship.

"She helps a lot with my PTSD and when I get around big groups of people. I get bothered, uncomfortable,” he explains.

He says he never expected he, his son and Bella would be turned away from a Valley fast-food restaurant employee.

"She said, ‘Sir, your dog is not allowed to come in here. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to leave.’ I explained to her that this is a service dog,” he tells us.

Floyd says he left the eatery but wants other businesses to know service dogs are allowed in public places.
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Iowa Senate Outlaws Fake Service Dogs

Iowa Senate passes bill outlawing fake service dogs
THE HILL
BY MORGAN GSTALTER
03/08/18

Iowans could face jail time if they lie about having a service dog under a new bill passed by the Iowa Senate on Wednesday.

The bill was introduced in response to veterans who came forward with concerns after their highly trained service dogs, meant to help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were attacked in public by untrained companion animals, according to the Des Moines Register.

Dogs go through rigorous training to assist with PTSD, blindness, epilepsy and other types of disabilities.

People were buying dog harnesses and fake certificates online so their untrained dogs could pass as qualified service animals or service-animals-in-training in order to get certain privileges, the Register reported.
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Marine Moms lost sons, fight to save others

Fighting PTSD: After tragic deaths of Marine sons, two Monmouth County moms find a mission
APP
Jerry Carino
March 5, 2018

In 2011, Michael Breen and James Veth died of PTSD-related causes. In the ensuing years, their mothers became friends bonded by grief and a goal — to help local veterans and their families. “There are so many proud moms and so many heartache moms as well, and that’s what Patricia and I are trying to prevent,” Dailey said. “We don’t want parents or families to go through the after part.”

Their sons died of PTSD after serving in the Iraq War. Patricia Malloy and Debby Dailey are driven to help others avoid that fate.

HAZLET - They graduated high school, one from Middletown North and one from Red Bank Regional. They enlisted the Marines. They fought in Iraq and returned to a hero’s welcome.

But Michael Breen and James Veth could not leave the war behind. It haunted them in ways most of us cannot understand.

“His sleeplessness, his paranoia,” said Debby Dailey, James’ mother. “He would borrow my car and he’d always have the sun roof closed. Or if I came home from being out, all the blinds in the house would be pulled down.”

Michael would get startled by loud noises. He started drinking.

“He never got ‘angry’ angry but he was always numbing himself,” said Patricia Malloy, Michael’s mom. “I thought, ‘You can’t tell me he’s alright. He was picking up (dead) bodies in Iraq.’”
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