A retired Canadian Forces veteran hopes to ensure that those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder can have a four-legged friend help them through the tough times.
Dan Labonte, a registered purebred breeder of Labrador retrievers, operates Lucky Labs kennel, located just outside of Wallaceburg with his wife, Janet.
He said about four years ago, they were approached by a service dog training organization and asked if they would provide a dog to be trained as a service dog.
“It was so gratifying. I’m a retired vet myself. I said I have to do this as my life’s purpose,” Labonte said.
The kennel has a program where it will donate a minimum of $6,000 in service dogs for veterans or first responders each year.
Dan Labonte, a retired Canadian Forces veteran, is shown with Zeek Dawg. Labonte and his wife, Janet, breed Labrador retrievers just outside of Wallaceburg, including service dogs for individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Handout)
Labonte said suitable dogs are specially selected based on their intelligence and temperament.
“You need quite a few dogs to be able to pick the cream of the crop,” he said. “Service dogs are a little bit different breed than the regular dog.”
He said an outside organization, the Citadel Canine Society, trains the dog for service.
Labonte said the organization also interviews the veterans seeking an animal.
“They’re 100-per-cent all-volunteer, non-government funded,” he said. “They will follow up later if there’s an issue. If the (veteran) dies, or the vet can’t care for the dog, they will take it back and rehome it to another vet or a first responder.”
Labonte called it amazing to witness a service dog in action.
“If someone’s having a nightmare, the dog’s trained to sense that,” he said. “They will go over and turn the light on and they will lick the vet’s face so that they come out of that dream.”
He said the dogs can also be trained to sit and watch their owner to make sure no one comes up from behind.
“They do a lot of things that people don’t even realize,” he said. “If I was to get agitated while I was speaking to you, the dog would come and intervene with me, paw me a little bit. And that would be my cue that ‘Oh, I’m starting to freak out. I need to settle down a little.’”
The kennel plans to collect donations in order to fund any veteran or first responder who requires a dog once its $6,000 commitment is exhausted, so no one will be left behind.
People are encouraged to refer a veteran, police officer, firefighter, nurse, or member of another profession, who suffers from PTSD to apply for a pup.
Once the application process is completed, the training and adoption process begins. The service dog and the training sessions are free.
For more information, or to donate, visit: https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/ptsd-service-dog-program
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