The Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit’s mission is to train and provide Service Dogs to Canadian Veterans and First Responders diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), at no cost to qualified members.

Over the last twenty-five years society’s understanding of the effects of trauma has changed dramatically and so has the way we help people struggling with the effects of trauma.

Whether the trauma was experienced on the battlefield or during various military operations, or at a crime scene, an accident scene, a building fire, a disaster or terrorist event, military members, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and first responders are more prone to experience extreme trauma than an average person.

That is why when the effects of trauma manifest itself in conditions like Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), these heroes who have served our community, province and country deserve our support.

Having a Service Dog will have an impact on every part of a veteran’s or first responder’s life including family, friends, work, recreation, and their mental, physical, and spiritual health and well-being.

PTSD symptoms can cause a person to act in ways that may be hard for family members to understand. The family can either positively or negatively impact a loved one’s PTSD symptoms. The first step in living with and helping a loved one with PTSD is learning about the symptoms of PTSD and understanding how these symptoms may influence behavior.

Our organization would like to establish a Peer Support Program for the family of Veterans or First Responders suffering from PTSD. This program will help family members learn about the benefits of introducing a Service Dog into the family and understand the months of training needed to become a certified Service Dog team.

We encourage you to donate during Giving Tuesday to help the families of these veterans and first responders live with PTSD.