Expect the Unexpected

When I first started to read about Psychiatric Service Dogs being used for returning veterans that suffer from PTSD I kind of limited my thinking, subconsciously. Not that I was actively voicing any certain expectations, but I just had some underlying assumptions that comes with limited knowledge. There's nothing like the smell of burnt rubber hitting the road to help change your pre-suppositions.

     Not to be gender-biased, because I do realize that many women are in the Armed Forces and provide valuable and quality service to our military operations and to our country, but somehow in my naivete I expected anyone suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to be someone who was under fire, as in mortar fire. In my mind that translated into wounded MALE soldier, since men are sent onto the front lines. (I am certainly aware that female soldiers can be captured and taken hostage, and are still in harms way, its just not the majority)

  When I arrived at Veteran's Best Friend in Berea, Ohio for filming, I noticed that it wasn't just men going through the program with their dogs, although certainly that was predominant. I immediately realized I needed to get a female voice into the narrative so I asked to talk to Sandy. Here is a snippet of her story and what lead up to her involvement with PS dogs and Veteran's Best Friend. Her story will be expanded on in my Capstone.