How Rescue Dogs Can Rescue Us
The bond between canine and veterans or soldiers can really only be understood between the pair. That relationship can really make or break the spirit of those serving abroad. This demonstrates that rescue dogs really can play a role in rescuing humans as well. Nowzad Charity and Pets For Vets New Brunswick are two organizations that help make that possible. From rescuing dogs, to reuniting them with veterans, to transforming them into service dogs, the end result are happier canines that get a second chance.
BIO:
Nowzad
Paul "Pen" Farthing is a former Royal Marines commando and founder of the Nowzad Dogs charity. During his deployment to Afghanistan in 2006 as part of the Royal Marines in 42 Commando, Farthing and his troops broke up a fight between two dogs in the town of Nawzad. Following this, one of the dogs followed Farthing and they ended up spending the following six months together, with the dog named Nowzad after the town. After the end of his deployment, Farthing sought to bring the dog home to the UK. This inspired him to create the nonprofit company Nowzad Dogs, a service which seeks to reunite servicemen with the dogs and cats who befriended them following the soldier's return home. The company also aids animal welfare in Afghanistan and built the first animal rescue centre in the country.
Pets For Vets NB (Sandra and Onne)
Sandra and Onne both grew up with dogs and began adopting their own shortly after getting married in the 90's. After having adopted several local dogs and cats over the years, Sandra was exposed to Nowzad via social media at the time when PTSD was becoming a known issue. While deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, service men and women were befriending stray pets, and wishing to take them home at the end of their deployment. Hearing the stories of soldiers rescuing dogs and cats and getting them to safe forever homes was a main attraction for both Sandra and Onne. It wasn't long until a dog that was rescued by a host of soldiers from the UK, Australia, Italy and the US and brought to Nowzad for shelter caught their eye. At the time of his rescue the soldiers named him Buddy, he was renamed to Murphy, and he was the first of many dogs to be adopted by Sandra and Onne from Nowzad. Sandra has continued to learn about dog behaviour and training methods. Knowing the positive impact the street dogs and cats can have on deployed soldiers, and the fact that many soldiers would like to have rescued a dog from their deployment, Pets for Vets was founded. Its mission is to help combine the benefits of using a dog for treatment of PTSD and saving a fellow war survivor from a war zone, while helping them as a team with training and space to do so.