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newlenoxpatriot.com life & arts
the new lenox patriot | April 25, 2019 | 17
Service dogs lifesavers for those suffering from PTSD
SEAN HASTINGS, Editor
“A man’s best friend”
just doesn’t cut it when describing
what a service dog
means to someone suffering
from PTSD.
It is more than the greeting
at the door, a big lick
across the face or a snuggle
buddy. It is a companion
that is there to make sure
they want to get up in the
morning, can sleep through
the night or go out in public.
Four veterans and one
police officer were officially
presented with their
service dogs at the New
Lenox American Legion,
Saturday, April 20. The
evening was put together
by K9’s for Veteran and Michael
Tellerino, veteran and
founder led the event.
Julian Silva, Brian Skraba,
Oscar Gutierrez, Cassandra
Taylor and Brad
Vaughn all officially received
their dogs.
“Watching the difference
in these guys, you can’t put
a price on that,” Tellerino
said.
Each service dog is
trained specifically for the
person they are helping.
PTSD cannot be seen and
it can’t be picked out of a
crowd and in a room filled
with people.
And for Skraba of Lockport,
as much as that night
was about officially getting
his service dog, Bentley, it
was just as much about continuing
to spread the word
about PTSD and finding
ways to treat it better and
faster.
Skraba, a Marine veteran,
was overwhelmed by
the support shown toward
him and the others with the
community members and
other former Marine’s in
the room cheering him on.
He has been out of the
military for 10 years and he
said sometimes he misses
the camaraderie he once
had, but events like that
night brings it back.
“He’s just a calming
presence,” Skraba said. “If I
start getting a little stressed
out or zoning out, he’s going
to help bring me back
and take me out of the bad
place so I don’t stay there
all day.”
And the first step for Skraba
to getting better and
getting help was admitting
that he needed it. While the
dog may give away that he
is dealing with something,
he hopes that gives someone
else, who is trying to
find the strength to get help,
get it, he said.
“For a while, I thought
about the stigma, but then
I said whatever,”he said.
“The happiness she brings
me and the mood change
is worth any kind of weird
stigma that anybody may
apply.”
Skraba also mentioned
how 22 veterans commit
suicide each day.
“Maybe by me having
the service dog, maybe
someone will ask for help
and maybe that will cut
down on one,” he said.
“One makes all the difference
in the world. Hopefully
he makes a difference
for other people and not just
me.”
That is the one thing all
the service dog recipients
had in common: they asked
for help and K9’s for Veterans
holding the event, has
society taking one step forward.
For Gutierrez, that is why
that night meant so much to
him and his dog Daisy.
He had friends that took
their own lives because
they did not have someof
the options that are available
now.
“If they would have had
something like a service
dog to read the signs,they
would probably still be
here,” he said.
Gutierrez struggles with
panic attacks and that is
how Daisy has helped him
already.
Service dogs are trained
to read panic attacks even
before they start and can
calm a veteran down.
“When they’re happening,
she comes next to me
and I’m able to pet her and
get my mind off whatever
triggered me,” he said.
And a little extra special
aspect for Gutierrez is that
he never owned a dog before,
but now having Daisy,
wishes he had a dog before.
“I wish their life spans
were as long as mine because
she’s grown into me
already,” he said. “I love
this dog to death. She’s definitely
a part of the family.”
He has been reaching out
to others to let them know
how much it helps and one
veteran has already showed
up to the center to get a dog
trained for him.
Vaughn, of Peoria
Heights, is the first first responder
to receive a service
dog through K9’s for Veterans.
He was having night terrors
on a regular basis, but
his dog, Bo, has already
helped him with them. Bo
sleeps next to Vaughn’s
bed and will jump in if he
senses a panic attack, put
his weight on Vaughn and
let him know it’s OK.
“He lets me know that
whatever was in my head
isn’t real and he is my reality,”
Vaughn said.
Dogs love children. For
whatever reason, they’re
drawn to them, but when
Vaughn and his family went
to pick up Bo, he darted
right past Vaughn’s kids
and went straight for him.
“It was like he already
knew I was the guy having
anxiety issues,”he said.
“It’s incredible.”
Vaughn struggles to be in
crowded rooms when he’s
off duty and usually has his
back against the wall when
he is in them, but now he
separates himself because
of Bo.
Bo watches what is going
on behind Vaughn and
tugs when he sees some one
walking behind him.
“I can kind of let my
guard down a little bit,”
Vaughn said. “He can keep
an eye out for me.”
Silva, who is just 22,
of Oak Lawn, an Air
Force veteran, said his
ONLY 3 LEFT!
Phone: 630-323-7600
Brad Vaughn and his wife Sammi pose for a picture
with Brad’s dog, Bo. Brad is the first first responder
to receive a dog through the organization. sean
hastings/22nd century media.
dog Nala means everything
to him.
“I love showing her off,”
he said. “I know I have
something I need to work
on. I don’t see it as a disability,
I see it more as
something I needed a little
help with. She’s there to
help me and at the same
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