Canine Companions for Independence® Opens New Service Dog Training Building for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- National non-profit Canine Companions for Independence opened their newest service dog training building at their Santa Rosa, California headquarters, specifically designed with veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mind.

Vietnam Air Force veteran Dave Flanders says Service Dog Sesame routinely wakes him from nightmares, "When I start moving or yelling in my dreams she'll get on my chest and wake me up. She's very good at it." Flanders continues, "This dog has meant the world to me. She's my life—she gave me life. I was on the verge of suicide before I met her. And she brought me back." Flanders says his nightmares are much less frequent since receiving Sesame free of charge from the national non-profit.

Canine Companions has provided assistance dogs to veterans since their founding in 1975 and began training service dogs for veterans with PTSD in 2015. "These dogs are trained in an additional set of commands, including discreet positional commands that create more space for the veteran in public, retrieving items from a distance and delivering them to their handler, as well as anxiety interruption and nightmare interruption," shares Canine Companions CEO Paige Mazzoni.

Veteran graduate Col. Bruce Pitman (USMC-ret) says, "Those additional training skills are pretty helpful." Bruce was matched with Service Dog Wembley last year. "His presence reduces my stress and anxiety which closed me out of normal life experience."

Canine Companions is the first and largest service dog non-profit in the country with over 6,300 people served from six training centers across the country. "Thanks to generous individuals, foundations and corporate donors, Canine Companions service dogs and a lifetime of follow up services are provided free of charge to veterans, children and adults with disabilities," shares Mazzoni.

About Canine Companions for Independence
Canine Companions for Independence provides expertly trained assistance dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities free of charge. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country. Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. For more information, visit cci.org or call 1-800-572-BARK.

SOURCE Canine Companions for Independence