Animal Support Therapy

DWAYNE SAWYER: My last deployment to Afghanistan was in 2005. I came back from that and really struggled with alcoholism, not knowing 100% why. I almost lost my family. And I went away for a course on alcoholism. And while I was there, I was diagnosed with PTSD. Nothing seemed right at home, people just seemed very ignorant. I started having flashbacks at night when I slept. It was a long, hard struggle.

It took years for me to get even to where I am now. At that time I was hiding in my house. I didn't want to leave. I didn't want to be seen in public. And Rex has now brought me to the point where I can be out in public. And I trust his judgment on how I'm feeling and people around me.

SERGE LEMIEUX: They have to take them out. They have to be responsible for their dogs. It takes them out of their basement. We even have veterans that lost weight, just because they have to get out and they started exercising. So it's all positive. As far as pairing with the veteran, we have a waiting list right now of about 40 people, just our organization. And when it's time to pair, it's not always first come, first serve. It has a lot to do with bonding. So if the dog is a good match with the veteran, they're going to bond, then we give it a try. And that's how we match them.

DWAYNE SAWYER: He lowers my anxiety. If we're in a mall situation, and he can feel my anxiety like he is now, he just gets really cuddly, and he gets right up into me and he starts looking around saying, OK, it's time to leave, look at me, get me out of this situation. So that brings my focus back to him, back to reality.