Heroes, Cowboys & Companions, a nonprofit that provides various services to Orange and Ulster’s heroes, teamed up with working dog organizations to host “Healing Paws” on October 18 in the Pine Bush Firehouse. HCC members wanted to educate local veterans, active duty personnel, and first responders on service dogs and how they help people who experience post-traumatic stress.

For this event, HCC partnered with IBI Semper Training, a nonprofit that provides training for PTS service dogs, and Lindsey Brown, a certified therapy dog handler.

Sonya Ward, founder and trainer of IST, and Brown opened the event with a presentation on PTS service dogs and how they differ from other working dogs. As Ward explained, these canines can help their owners maintain serotonin levels and blood pressure, give them companionship and a sense of purpose, reduce anxiety and stress, and provide a buffer in large crowds. Most importantly, service dogs can recognize and respond to PTS triggers, bringing their owner “back into the present.” For example, if a service dog recognizes that their owner is having a nightmare, they will lay on top of their owner and lick their face until they wake up.

“If you have certain movements, we can train the dog to recognize those movements and respond with stubbing or leaning against you. There are different commands that we can use to get you into the present and not spiral further,” Ward said. “We’re training service dogs to recognize behaviors and mitigate them, so they don’t end up becoming full-blown nightmares or panic attack episodes.”

Ward noted that service dogs are covered under state laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act. These laws grant service dogs public-access rights, allowing them to be with their owners at all times. Additionally, if someone was to disrupt or harm a service dog, such as petting them without permission, they can be punished under state law.

“What a lot of people are not aware of is that every state has laws pertaining to service dogs. The service dogs are covered under civic federal law, which is called the ADA,” Ward said. “So if you disrupt or hurt an animal, states have laws against that. They usually have monetary fines, or in specific extreme cases, jail time.”

Following the presentation, Lindsey introduced attendees to one of her therapy dogs, a German shepherd named Neveah. Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs provide comfort to multiple people at hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other public areas. These canines do not receive the same training or public-access rights as service dogs.

After Neveah made her rounds in the firehouse, attendees watched “By My Side,” a documentary produced by Michael Collins and Vicki Topaz. The film follows three different veterans, how PTS affects their daily lives and relationships, and how their service dogs help them with their struggles.
Following the documentary attendees enjoyed food and received additional information from the organizations. They also met and interacted with two service dogs, an English golden retriever named Stella and a black labrador named Eri.

Overall, both the hosts and attendees found “Healing Paws” to be a fun and educational event, with the learning a lot about working dogs. HCC spent a year planning this event, and its members look forward to hosting another one next year.

“I think the event was very informative. The dog handlers got their points across, and people got the chance to speak with them and meet their dogs,” said Jacque Transmeier, co-founder of HCC. “It was also great seeing the different characteristics of both service dogs and therapy dogs.”

For more information about service dogs, visit Ibi Semper Training’s website at https://ibisempertraining.org/.