Last night i watched a great peice on CBC's The National about psychiatric service dogs and the overwhelming success they are at helping disturbed veterans after they return from the Iraq fiasco. It was moving to see and hear how the young man in the film has been able to regain his life in large part because of his relationship with Megan his chocolate lab best friend. Megan came from Puppies Behind Bars who train inmates to raise puppies to become service dogs for the disabled, tres cool.Today, after a long walk in the park with my best friend, i did some searching and reading up on psychiatric service dogs and found a huge world i barely knew existed. If you're looking for an inspiration: click here.
While i was reading i stated to realize that my best friend Pancho was providing me with the same free psychiatric services 24/7 that the specially trained dogs were in the articles. Like most of us, my psychiatric needs are sub-clinical most days and are perfectly well serviced by unconditional love given and recieved, being needed by and needing a kindred spirit, by companionship, by having someone to just listen, someone always glad to see me no matter what.
i love dogs, all dogs, there are no bad dogs, only bad humans who have abused them. If you already share your life with a dog type person you're lucky and you already know all of this. If not, why not? Place to small? Move. City life, two jobs, mortage, kids...all terrible excuses for living a your life without the free psychiatric services available 24/7 at your local animal shelter. If there's no space or time in your life for a dog, i offer my condolences and a bitta advice: change your life.
