Luis Montalvan: Need for PTSD Service Dogs Growing All the Time

NEW YORK, NY, August 21, 2012

Service dogs have, based upon anecdotal evidence, proven useful in assisting veterans who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to Mother Nature Network. Despite the fact that the pairing of service dogs with veterans who have this disorder is promising, the United States Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) has not taken advantage of the research opportunity that Congress has allotted it regarding this form of treatment. Luis Montalvan, a veteran and advocate of veterans who have sustained physical and mental injuries, believes this oversight on behalf of the VA is inexcusable.

According to the article, Congress recommended that the VA conduct a three-year study regarding the benefits of pairing service dogs with veterans who have PTSD. Although the VA was encouraged to enroll up to 200 veterans in this initiative, it has, to date, only enrolled 17. Additionally, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs (GAMSD) is the only service dog organization participating in the study despite the fact that three organizations were initially involved in the project.

To make the matter more frustrating for Luis Montalvan and other supporters of the initiative, the study has shown positive results--results that the VA seems unlikely to explore in a more thorough way given the slight number of veterans it has involved in the study.

"The results are immediate," asserts Carol Borden, the Executive Director of GAMSD. "They're very quick. It's not a cure, but they are able to manage their challenges much better than they have in years." Borden also asserts that the demand for these service dogs is high and recipients have spent years on waiting lists for their chance to be paired with a dog.

"The Service Dog for Veterans Act (SDVA) passed in 2010, and ordered the United States Department of Veteran's Affairs to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the effectiveness of service dogs in mitigating the physical and psychological wounds of disabled veterans," states former Army Captain Luis Montalvan. "It is shameful and inexcusable that, since the SDVA's passage, the VA has only gotten 17 participants enrolled in this important study. With veteran unemployment, divorce, homelessness, and suicide rates at all time highs, what legitimate excuse could the VA possibly have?"

Luis Montalvan hopes that the positive results of the study will encourage the VA to conduct more thorough research. If researched more effectively, the program might be eligible for a variety of funding, making it easier to provide service dogs to veterans in need. Additionally, such research might underscore the real nature of PTSD as a war wound. Today's culture does not take this injury as seriously as it does more obvious physical injuries, but the effects of PTSD are very real.

ABOUT:

Luis Montalvan served in the United States Army for 17 years. Throughout his service, Luis Montalvan was a member of the officer corps, a military policeman, infantryman, and communications specialist. Today, Luis Montalvan advocates for veterans and active duty military personnel who have suffered both physical and mental wounds as a result of combat and military sexual trauma.

Website: http://luismontalvan.org