Fire DogsService Dogs UK is a new Charitable organisation that trains 'rescue' dogs to help veterans with PTSD and in doing so, improves the lives of both.

It has never been more important to support those who have served but are struggling with PTSD. More help is needed for those in the military and the emergency services - Service Dogs UK is determined to make a difference and raise awareness.

In the US the therapeutic use of dogs in treating those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is well recognised. Now Congress has backed a long term research project to develop the benefits that dogs can provide for those with PTSD. In the UK there is still little provision although charities such as Combat Stress do an incredible amount to help veterans and raise awareness there remains an enormous amount of ignorance and misunderstanding around the subject.

Service Dogs UK wants to raise awareness and show how assistance dogs can mitigate many of the symptoms associated with PTSD. Dogs give us a feeling of 'well being', they emit oxytocin which is a calming, nurturing hormone that reduces stress. They can help sufferers with anxiety, nightmares, being in public and feelings of being alone. They can help veterans to be more social and less isolated, to communicate with people and re-engage in the community, to get out more and enjoy life. Our aim is to train our dogs to Assistance Dogs standard. These dogs will be trained specifically to help the veteran with the symptoms that he or she has so that these dogs can go with the veteran.... everywhere, providing a dependable friend, always at their side, to face the world!

We believe that those in the military and emergency services can strongly identify with being part of a team. PTSD can often rob the veteran of this which leads them to exclusion and isolation. In order to be successful on our programme, the veteran has to work as part of a team again. It will require him/her to commit to the dog's welfare and training needs while forming an unbreakable bond of trust, respect and love. Our dogs will have come from 'rescues' and they will be in as much need of help as the veterans themselves. The veterans will be doing something positive and rewarding by saving a dog and that will mean a new beginning for both. A beginning where their mutually supportive partnership will enable them to get the most out of life.

It takes approximately £5000 for us to train an assistance dog. We need £20,000 to train our first 4 'rescue' assistance dogs and we desperately need support to make this happen! We are asking for donations and for sponsors. If you are a 'decision maker' in a company and you want to get behind this please contact us today! If you want to show your appreciation to all those men and women who, through serving on the front lines abroad or at home, have experienced real trauma and are paying the price for their service please get in touch.

To start with the initiative is planned to for Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey, but Service Dogs UK is ambitious; we want this ultimately to be nationwide so we can help people from all over the country.

Service Dogs UK is the brain child of Garry Botterill, a Sussex Police Sergeant and Judith Broug who are passionate about helping those who have served through the use of specially trained assistance dogs from rescue centres.

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