{"id":808,"date":"2025-09-29T23:24:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T23:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/?p=808"},"modified":"2025-09-29T23:25:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T23:25:02","slug":"therapy-dogs-help-wounded-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/therapy-dogs-help-wounded-warriors\/","title":{"rendered":"Therapy Dogs Help Wounded Warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dogs help wounded warriors heal at Walter Reed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

June 27, 2008<\/em>
by Elizabeth M. Lorge<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 27, 2008) \u2013 One of the most popular therapists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center prefers to show his enthusiasm and appreciation by wagging his tail and giving slobbery kisses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FyYSyUnF8EQ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deuce<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Deuce is a three-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever and the first therapy dog assigned to a U.S. military hospital. Walter Reed is the only military hospital to use therapy dogs, according to Deuce\u2019s owner, Harvey Naranjo, who is in charge of adaptive sports and community reintegration programs at the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had just started a program where we take our servicemembers to ride horses as part of their therapy to work on their core\u2026While we were there, they had some dogs running around in the barn,\u201d Naranjo said. \u201cAnd I just saw how our guys, how our patients, opened up to the dogs and all of a sudden you saw these tough guys just totally melt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018Wow, what a wonderful thing if we can get one of these dogs for the clinic.\u2019 And I said it out loud. There happened to be a retired Army veterinary officer there who overheard me and he started asking me all these questions and before I knew it I was getting a dog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good for patients<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After breaking through a lot of red tape, Deuce, who was originally trained as a service dog, arrived at Walter Reed about two years ago. He goes on walks with patients who are missing legs, both to encourage them to get out and get accustomed to walking dogs they might already have. He plays fetch with patients who are missing arms so they can learn how to use their prosthetics and throw the ball. He lets patients lean on him for balance during therapy exercises. He even runs in marathons with the wounded Soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat has been a huge encouragement for our guys,\u201d Naranjo said. \u201cYou know, going out and running five miles for the first time and the dog is running with them, their buddy is out there supporting them and also running, really boosts their morale and gets them out. He\u2019s part of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most importantly, Deuce\u2019s job is to bring smiles to patients\u2019 faces and help them forget where they are. He was clearly the center of attention in Walter Reed\u2019s occupational therapy gym Tuesday as wounded Soldiers and staff members stopped to rub his ears and sneak him treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to innovative therapies like those provided by Deuce, holistic approaches to health and well-being include education and certification in naturopathic practices. Pursuing a naturopath certification (in German \u2013 Zertifizierung zum Naturheilpraktiker<\/a>) equips practitioners with skills in herbal medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle counseling, which complement conventional medical treatments. These courses emphasize a comprehensive understanding of natural remedies and therapeutic techniques that support the body\u2019s innate healing abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturopathic certification programs integrate principles of traditional healing with modern scientific knowledge, offering a balanced approach to healthcare. Practitioners learn to address underlying causes of illness, promote preventative care, and empower patients to make informed decisions about their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By incorporating naturopathic strategies alongside conventional medicine, healthcare providers can offer personalized treatment plans that enhance overall wellness and support patients on their journey to recovery and long-term health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other dogs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet Harley, Angela\u2019s Therapy Dog<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program has been so successful that Walter Reed added another dog, and a third will start in the Fall. The dogs alternate days, and Naranjo said Deuce loves working so much he gets upset when he has to stay home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe loves it here. The days he\u2019s not coming to work, I hear it at home. If I\u2019m leaving in the morning, he\u2019s going \u2018Am I not going\u201d kind of look. He really loves interacting with the patients and really being involved with everything we do\u2026When I\u2019m going to work, if I grab the vest, he\u2019s already standing at attention at the door, waiting. \u2018Are you going to take me\u201d The minute I don\u2019t have the vest, he\u2019s still laying on his bed waiting to see what\u2019s happening next\u2026 If I were to take the vest off Deuce at this moment, he\u2019s a dog. He\u2019s doing whatever he wants to do. I have to call him two, three times, but the minute the vest is on, he\u2019s in work mode. He knows what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other patients in the hospital are visited once or twice a month by dogs and volunteers from People, Animals, Love (www.peopleanimalslove.org), an organization that trains therapy dogs. The dogs, who are in good health and bathed just before their visit, visit in-patients and the pediatric ward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Service dogs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The therapy dogs were such a success at Walter Reed, according to Naranjo, that program has referred about 20 servicemembers for personal service dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese dogs have been a huge benefit to them,\u201d he said. \u201cAside from the physical tasks the dog does for them, one of the extra things that we never thought about was, the dogs have now drawn attention away from the patients\u2019 injuries and what\u2019s going on. A lot times when our guys go out in public and they\u2019re on their own or with their Families, they feel a little vulnerable because everybody\u2019s kind of focused on them and their injuries. Hey, look at that guy\u2019s leg. But now what\u2019s happening, is they walk with this dog and the attention is drawn to the dog and people come and talk about the dog first before they focus on the physical injuries a patient is presented with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lyla<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After losing both legs to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cpl. Sue Downes received Lyla, a 2-year-old yellow Lab, through the Canines for Combat Veterans program. The program is run by National Education for Assistance Dogs Services, and Lyla was actually trained by an inmate in the prison pups program. A $25,000 donation to the Tower of Hope organization covered Lyla\u2019s training, food and other needs. Another donor awarded Lyla free veterinary care for life so Downes isn\u2019t responsible for any costs associated with the dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Downes has been at Walter Reed for a year and a half and she said Lyla \u2014 who wears a service-dog vest Downes made out of her own uniform \u2014 has made a huge difference in her life. Lyla lets Downes lean on her for balance or for help standing up. The dog turns off the light at night and brings the spray bottle of water Downes needs to fit into her prosthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, when Downes took the spray bottle out of her purse and set it down, Lyla immediately picked it back up and gave it to her. Even after Downes assured her it was okay, Lyla continued to watch the bottle for several minutes before disappearing under Downes\u2019 seat until she was needed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBefore, I wouldn\u2019t enter the hospital by myself unless I had somebody with me,\u201d Downes said. \u201cNow that I have her, I come in by myself a lot of the time. Just more confidence knowing someone\u2019s there. She\u2019s there to help me if I fall, things like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe stress and anxiety, (Lyla) some how just reduces it,\u201d she added. \u201cYou feel calm. Because whenever I start having a panic attack or something, I don\u2019t know, she senses things. She\u2019ll come to me and I\u2019ll pet her and be like \u2018good girl\u2019 and I\u2019ll forget about it. It\u2019s soothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Lyla knows she has a job and belongs to Downes, Downes added that Lyla is also a regular dog and a great pet for her 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. She does tricks and loves to play tug-of-war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combat-stress dogs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Two other dogs have deployed to Iraq with combat-stress units to help Soldiers relax and give them a little piece of home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have areas where occupational therapists in theater have to go and assess combat-stress situations where there may have been a death in the unit,\u201d said Naranjo. \u201cSoldiers have been on constant deployments in areas where they haven\u2019t had access to their families, with a phone call or whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat an awesome thing to come back after pulling duty and have a nice dog waiting for you, wagging its tail or whatever. It has opened up the door for communications because a lot of times they don\u2019t want to talk to a therapist or say what\u2019s wrong with them. The dog helps them calm down, relax and then open up a little bit more. The dogs have been very effective that we had a request for two more dogs to do the same type of work in Afghanistan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article courtesy of www.army.mil<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dogs help wounded warriors heal at Walter Reed June 27, 2008by Elizabeth M. Lorge WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 27, 2008) \u2013 One of the most popular therapists at Walter Reed Army Medical Center prefers to show his enthusiasm and appreciation by wagging his tail and giving slobbery kisses. httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FyYSyUnF8EQ Deuce Deuce is a three-year-old […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry","has-media","owp-thumbs-layout-horizontal","owp-btn-normal","owp-tabs-layout-horizontal","has-no-thumbnails","has-product-nav"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=808"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":814,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/808\/revisions\/814"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectdemo.pro\/Angela-thomas-Jones\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}