UAB connects canines to former military members

Emma Owen Blazer News Editor [email protected]

While UAB’s mascot is a dragon, there’s a chance you might pass another furry friend on the way to class.

Andy Duenckel, sophomore in neuroscience and United States Veteran Service Dogs (USVSD) trainer, said she is currently training a black lab named Beaux.

“The objective of USVSD is to train and provide service dogs for veterans with PTSD, mobility issues, or other disabilities,” Duenckel said.“USVSD currently has a branch of puppy raisers at UAB that functions sort of like a club. Puppy raisers start the dogs and teach them how to behave in various public situations as well as performing a mix of obedience and task training.”

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Duenckel said Beaux can go to class with her as part of the training, and even has his own One Card.

“Even though he isn’t my service dog, he pretty much lives as if he is,” Duenckel said. “He’s with me almost always and goes almost everywhere that I do. (The) ability to train Beaux has been such an amazing experience and I’m beyond excited to see him graduate and be paired with his Veteran in the future.”

Emily Haigh, graduate student in physical therapy, said she became a full-time puppy raiser in 2018.

“After attending my first USVSD graduation ceremony in December 2018, I realized just how impactful these dogs truly are,” Haigh said. “I watched a Purple Heart Recipient meet his service dog for the first time and take his first few steps towards finding his new normal. Our other USVSD graduate was a veteran who had a seizure disorder, mobility impairments as well as PTSD.  His personality changed in front of all of us throughout the week as he became more confident through the use of his service dog, Skip.”

Haigh said she stays in contact with some of the veterans that received service animals to see their progress.

“(The veterans) are continuously sharing success stories of new environments they have conquered or how they never thought this new quality of life would ever be possible,” Haigh said. “Many of our veterans were previously homebound due to their debilitating PTSD. With their service dogs, they are looking forward to going to major league baseball games, taking their kids out for pizza and even simple things like running errands.”  

Haigh said that there are manybenefits veterans can experience from having a service animal.

“Our PTSD service dogs help to provide a team mentality similar to when their handler was deployed,” Haigh said. “Many veterans comment on how alone they feel until they have a 24/7 companion to pour into.”

Haigh said the service animals learn skills that assist their veteran both emotionally and physically.

“(The dogs) learn behavior mitigation where they can interrupt behaviors such as scratching, leg shaking, skin picking and finger drumming,” Haigh said. “These are all behaviors that can be signs of anxiety or lead to self-destructive behaviors. Block work is one of their most important tasks. This task is used to create a physical barrier between the handler and the public using the dog’s body, (which) is especially important in crowds.”

Olivia Gabel, sophomore in biology, said she has been training her service dog, O’Stan, since last April.

“(I) wanted to teach the public about all types of visible and invisible disabilities, as well help our Veterans find their new normal,” Gabel said.“When a veteran sees their dog for the first time, it’s amazing.Some of these veterans are getting their life back. They have a reason to go outside, they have somebody who’s always there to calm them down and keep them safe.”

Gabel said that while raising a service animal on campus might not always be easy, to her, it’s worth it.

“Our dogs go through a lot of training and by the time they see a classroom, they have learned to settle and be quiet,” Gabel said.“Things happen though,it might be a dog’s off day, and they may quietly whine or stand. A person may step on them by accident, and the dog might yelp. Stuff happens but we all try to make sure the dog isn’t disturbing others.”

Gabel said she has enjoyed training O’Stan and looks forward to seeing how her service dog in training goes on to help others.

“Overall, if I had to go back in time and do it all over, I would,” Gabel said.“(The) reward of handing over your dog’s leash to a veteran on graduation day is going to be so rewarding.”