May is both National Military Appreciation Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.
Today we’re featuring a U.S. Army veteran whose service dog, Hero Dogs Franklin, helps her manage panic attacks.
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๐๐๐ฆ๐ & ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: Angelee, Montclair, VAโฃโฃโฃ
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๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก, ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ค, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐: Army, Retired Major, served 1994 – 2013. Germany, Hawaii, Arizona, Iraq, Kuwait, Pentagon. โฃโฃโฃ
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๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐/๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ: While transitioning/retiring from the Army, I googled “service dog organization”. A number of other options came up, but I chose Hero Dogs because it is local, and the program is one that continues to assist you and ensure success between you and the dog. โฃโฃโฃ
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๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ’๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐, ๐๐ ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐: Franklin, (Frankie) D. Roosevelt (FDR). 8yrs old, Golden Retrieverโฃโฃโฃ
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๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ : He is a distraction… haha I thought the question was “Most difficult part of having a service dog” and still the answer would be… He is a distraction. That’s the best AND worst part of having a service dog. He distracts my attention away from (insert trigger/ distressing event here) and back to HIM and what HE is doing in THAT moment. That’s the best. The worst is also… He distracts people wherever he goes. He’s just so beautiful and friendly looking that he draws attention (mostly unwanted), makes people smile, and even children exclaim or want to pet him. This can make going out in public time consuming when people want to stop me and engage him. โฃโฃโฃโฃโฃ
๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ: Stop a panic attack head on… by being annoying as heck… yes, a wonderful distraction. โฃโฃโฃ
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๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ : Take pictures/video of him when he is happyโin nature, enjoying the outdoors. โฃโฃโฃ
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๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ’๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ฌ?: Be prepared to work. It’s a LOT of WORK. You will get discouraged. Know before applying that this is a lifetime commitmentโthe rewards will be worth the difficulty, but be prepared.
