County commissioners chose to honor a Hernando-based nonprofit group dedicated to pairing service dog with PTSD patients on June 27 as part of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day."

  • K9 Partners for Patriots based in Brooksville
  • Trained service dogs can sense anxiety triggers in PTSD patients
  • Program has graduated about a hundred service dogs since 2014
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Army veteran Terry Michael said something changed when she left the service nearly 25 years-ago.

"I was full of anger," Michael explained. "I was just angry and it just seemed like it kept getting worse."

She was soon diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Uncomfortable going out in public, her condition led her to retreat from friends and family until she met her service dog, Dukes.

"Instead of sitting there and staring off and thinking of the worst, he kept getting me off the couch," Michael said.

Michael started training with Dukes in 2015 through K9 Partners for Patriots, and now the pair is inseparable. Mary Peter, founder of K9 Partners for Patriots, said dogs are helpful for veterans with PTSD because they can sense their anxiety triggers.

"The dogs will stop an anxiety attack, by getting the focus off of what's getting the veteran anxious onto the dog,” Peter explained.

Besides the opportunity to have her organization recognized by the county commission, Peter said she's thankful they dedicated this day to PTSD to further raise awareness about the disorder.

"I don't think people understand what PTSD is and the stigma," she explained. "There's a stigma that goes with it which shouldn't be there."

That's why, as part of the training, veterans learn how to talk about their PTSD, how to explain to others what it is and how the dogs help.

"It's like God sent him to me," Michael said. "I thank God every day for him."

Terry is now working to become a trainer for the program, in order to help others get the partnership she has.

K9 Partners for Patriots has already graduated about a hundred dogs and veterans from their training program since they opened in 2014. They say they have about 300 veterans who have signed up. For more information, visit them on the web at k9partnersforpatriots.com.