Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Anthony Longo told Newsmax that a foundation he helped establish places unique service dogs with vets and first responders that can help lead them away from “self-harm.”
Longo told Saturday Report that his Warriors Choice Foundation raises dogs for the specific vet they will be placed with. “I think it's just a bond that you form with these animals that, they're able to help take you out of these head spaces of possible self-harm.”
Dogs that are raised and placed in service by the foundation, he said, can literally bring new life for veterans. “And, you know, just to help you appreciate the moments that you have where nothing needs to be said. It's just an emotional connection that really ties you and grounds you into learning how to love yourself.”
The foundation website says the program assists with “progressive health services and holistic treatment modalities tailored to each individual.”
There is a range of issues the foundation can help with that take into account specialized treatments and support for those “suffering from PTSD, mental illness, and catastrophic injuries on a case-by-case basis to streamline personalized nontraditional services the current healthcare system isn't up to date with."
Longo said even establishing a new daily routine with a dog helps add structure and meaning, “it gives you that purpose of like, I have to get up, I have to take the animal out, I have to feed, I have to provide, he said. “I have to do a number of these nuances and stages of the animal.”
That, said Longo, often leads to new ways of thinking and self-direction.“It really kind of allows you to self-reflect through our programming. It enables you to really look at yourself and what are the things that we're doing or that we're seeing patternizations of.”
The dogs help with creating those new directions. “And how can we either detour from what would be, not good for us, or something that we can continue to work on and build better habit-forming responses to situations in our lives.”
Longo said the dogs placed by the program are an integral part of creating individually tailored “pathways to wellness through progressive medicine."
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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