Combat Wounded Dogs

Provides information about dogs that have played an important role in the military and, like soldiers, have been wounded and yet survived.

A heartwarming dog story like no other: Tuesday, a lovable golden retriever, changes a former soldier’s life forever. A highly decorated captain in the U.S. Army, Luis Montalván never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home from combat, however, his physical wounds and crippling post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll. He wondered if he would ever recover. Then Luis met Tuesday, a sensitive golden retriever trained to assist people with disabilities. Tuesday had lived among prisoners and at a home for troubled boys, and he found it difficult to trust in or connect with a human being–until Luis. Until Tuesday is the story of how two wounded warriors, who had given so much and suffered the consequences, found salvation in each other. It is a story about war and peace, injury and recovery, psychological wounds and spiritual restoration. But more than that, it is a story about the love between a man and dog, and how, together, they healed each other’s souls.

In this comprehensive and gorgeously illustrated book, Cathy Scott and Clay Myers show how service and therapy dogs are having a profound impact on the lives of military personnel injured in action. Not only do our veterans deal with physical injuries, but they often return with psychological issues that can be treated with help, companionship, and love from working canines. Through moving stories and color photographs, Unconditional Honor highlights the nearly forty-year history of working dogs helping wounded veterans, the mental and physical combat traumas that are mitigated by the dogs, the selection and training of the dogs, including rescued canines, and what the future holds. Featured in the book are inspiring personal accounts of what the dogs mean to veterans, and how their lives have been forever changed and even saved since adopting canines. In addition to the remarkable healing journeys of wounded warriors and their canines, this book showcases the various groups, formed originally to train dogs for the blind and the physically disabled that now embrace military services, that provide, at no cost, returning troops with dogs to make them whole again after surviving the reality of war.

"There are hundreds of books about human war heroes: pilots, sailors, infantrymen. War Dogs is the first comprehensive book about canine heroes. Michael Lemish has collected astonishing true stories and scores of rare, compelling photographs showing the contributions that dogs have made to America's defense since World War I. They illustrate well the strong bonds between dogs and their masters who have worked together to save thousands of lives during wartime." "Collectively known as the K9 corps, military working dogs have led patrols, sniffed out poison gas and booby traps, defended base perimeters, pulled sleds, led rescue teams to the wounded, located caves and bunkers used by enemy soldiers - and even parachuted into combat. Meet Stubby, the legendary "Hero Dog" of the World War I trenches. Find out why thousands of families donated their dogs during World War II and why the Viet Cong placed a bounty upon war dogs and their handlers during the Vietnam War. Learn about the plan during the 1950s to have dogs carry tactical nuclear weapons. Read about York, the scout dog who led Americans on 148 patrols during the Korean War without a single casualty." "War Dogs is about the many different breeds - terriers, beagles, German shepherds, collies, Labradors, huskies, Dobermans, and others - that have been thrust into dangerous situations in the nation's service. Anyone who has ever loved a dog will love this revealing anecdotal history, a salute to America's unsung four-legged heroes."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Hundreds of thousands of military veterans seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) each year. Service dogs have been used for many years in the civilian sector to help their disabled owners perform necessary tasks in daily life; likewise, the organized use of therapy dogs to bring comfort and companionship to hospital and nursing-home patients dates back more than four decades. Reporting for Duty explores the unique and special bond between wounded warriors—especially those suffering from PTSD—and their service dogs and discusses the vital work of therapy dogs who visit VA hospitals and military rehabilitation facilities. Author Tracy Libby tells the true stories of disabled veterans who have been touched, assisted, and enriched by the dogs in their lives, and the new lease on life is reciprocal: many of these service and therapy dogs have been rescued from shelters and specially trained for their jobs. A portion of proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit a veterans’ service-dog organization. INSIDE REPORTING FOR DUTY: •True stories of physically and mentally disabled veterans who count on service dogs for assistance with daily tasks. •An explanation of PTSD and how it affects military veterans. •How therapy dogs and service dogs are selected and trained for their jobs. •Rescuing shelter dogs to train for therapy and service work. •How the military is training dogs to accompany soldiers on deployments. •A look at the bond between people and dogs and the positive effects it has on both

A decade ago, Special Forces warrior Jason Morgan parachuted into the Central American jungle on an anti-narcotics raid. Months later, he regained consciousness in a US military hospital, with no memory of how he'd gotten there-- and a prognosis that he would never walk again. After multiple surgeries and numerous setbacks, Morgan was a single father confined to a wheelchair and tortured by his pain. Light came in the form of Napal, the black Labrador who would change his life forever. This is the story of how one very special dog gave a man;s life true meaning.

In March 2010, British soldiers were patrolling a street in Afghanistan with a Belgian shepherd named Chocolat. Suddenly, the dog walked ahead of the men and entered an empty shop. His handler knew this meant the dog smelled something dangerous. The soldiers carefully entered the building and discovered a supply of explosives--enough to make more than 10 bombs. Thanks to Chocolat, the weapons had been found before they could do any harm. Chocolat is one of thousands of dogs that have been trained to use their super sense of smell to detect explosives. Some, like Chocolat, serve in the military, while others work with police in crowded public places like airports, bus stations, or sports stadiums. They all serve faithfully to help make the world a safer place. With real-life stories and full-color photos of bomb-sniffing dogs on the job, this book is sure to appeal to dog-lovers everywhere.

When Debbie Zeisler adopted a huge dog named Bear from an animal shelter, she had no idea that one day he would save her life. In 2011, Debbie was leaving her house when Bear suddenly blocked her path. Somehow, the big dog sensed that Debbie, who suffers from seizures, was going to have an attack. Unaware of what was coming, Debbie continued walking. Then the seizure struck, and Debbie fell down and banged her head. Bear, the amazing shelter dog, ran to get help--and, ultimately, helped save his owner's life. This is just one of many inspiring stories found in Shelter Dogs. After being rescued, many shelter dogs, just like Bear, go on to do extraordinary things. From searching for earthquake survivors to helping people with medical problems, young readers will be amazed at how shelter dogs save lives and help people in need.