More than 300 thousand American soldiers were injured during the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of them helped to heal…. animals.
In his new book, «Veterans and Pets: wounded soldiers and animals that help them,» the authors Dava Guerin and Kevin Ferris tell stories about the soldiers who helped recover dogs, horses or even eagles.
Patrick Bradley fought in Vietnam in 1967. He was asleep when their tents were fired from a mortar.
«I had splinters all over her body, a huge wound,» — said Patrick the author’s book. He spent almost a year in hospital, and returned home, not welcome at home, like many soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Some of his wounds are felt to this day.
Who knows how it would have turned the fate of Bradley, if doctors did not recommend him to take part in a unique program sponsored by the government of Canada, which was looking for people to explore bald eagles, reports the NY Post.
And Bradley trained to survive in the wild, spent several months in the Outback of Canada, dealing only with birds. He loved them and they helped him.
«I went back into society,» added Patrick. He received a degree in Zoology, has developed several educational programs about birds. And when his son returned home with PTSD after 17 years of service in the army, Bradley brought him into the sanctuary and said, «Son, why don’t you wear a glove, take the bird and go for a walk?».
Son of Patrick have made daily walks a bald eagle and it pulled him out of the «box» in which he closed from the people.
A US army veteran Tyler Jeffries in 2012 hit a landmine in Afghanistan, losing both legs to the knee.
«At first I laughed and joked, in spite of what happened, but deep down I was really scared. I didn’t know if I can live with it,» recalls Tyler.
He made dentures, but the man is very hard to get used to them and to civilian life. On the recommendation of one of the veterans he took a service dog named Apollo and began to train her in case if he needs support.
Apollo lives in the family Jeffreson for four years. The soldiers said that the dog changed his life, he is no longer ashamed to go out, not afraid of ridicule and sidelong glances.
«He brought me out of the house helped me become more independent. People come to the Apollo, asking about him, about me,» says Tyler.
In 2010, Stephanie Mason from Delaware had an accident on the road in Afghanistan. It took her years to recover from severe craniocerebral trauma, nine facial fractures, a back injury.
Since childhood, Stephanie loved horses and when he learned about such therapy for wounded soldiers, he immediately decided to join the program. Now she plans to participate in equestrian competitions with her horse Bo.
«The longer you are with the animal, the more you get to know each other,» says Stephanie. «Between you is indeed a strong connection.»
