Veterans find more than mobility in Patriot Paws service dogs

Billy Connell says he wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for his dog Peyton.

Connell served in the Army for two decades, including during the first Gulf War, and suffered nerve and muscle damage from chemical weapons. He relies on his service dog every day.

“There are days I can’t get out of bed,” Connell said.

Connell sometimes needs a cane, scooter or walker to get around and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Peyton helps him open doors, turn on lights, give water, or pick things up off the ground when he can’t bend over. Peyton might even wake him up from a bad dream.

Connell is one of hundreds of veterans who received a dog through Patriot Paws, a Rockwall-based nonprofit that trains and provides service dogs to veterans with physical disabilities, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder for free.

Dogs provide much more than physical assistance, said the organization’s founder, Lori Stevens.

“They’re breaking a certain barrier that we don’t see and making a difference in (veterans’) lives,” said Stephens, who retired in October after nearly 20 years as CEO. “These veterans are looking for something over-the-counter.”

Dogs can help ease the mental and emotional trauma of many veterans. According to the report US Department of Veterans Affairsveterans die by suicide more often than non-veterans. In 2020, the age- and sex-adjusted suicide rate among US veterans was 57.3% higher than among non-veteran adults.

Veterans with service dogs talk about the purpose and companionship their dog has given them, in addition to helping with mobility. Before Peyton Connell said he was struggling to find hope. He calls service dogs “rescuers.”

“I was in a dark place, mentally, spiritually,” Connell said. “I didn’t care if I was on this earth or not… I wouldn’t be here on this earth without Peyton. He makes me live and continue.”

Man’s best friend

Each quarter, Patriot Paws hosts a graduation ceremony in Rockwall to recognize a new group of veterans who select and receive their service dogs. At each ceremony, four to six veterans receive a dog. According to Stevens, the organization has matched more than 600 dogs with veterans in 47 states, either for community service or assistance at home.

On Oct. 18, four veterans and their new service dogs received their diplomas at a ceremony in Rockwall after completing the application, training and selection process. An audience of about 30 program alumni, handlers, volunteers, community leaders, sponsors, friends, family and service dogs gathered to support the graduating veterans.

Each veteran stepped forward, joined by their new companion. When Miles, US Army veteran Brandon Smith’s dog, skipped down the aisle and began licking his owner’s face, the audience wiped away tears.

At the ceremony, Marine Corps veteran Harry Goad received his second Patriot Paws dog named Skipper. Goud, 75, lives in Rockport and joined the Marine Corps in 1968.

“I spent 12 months and 26 days in Vietnam,” Goad said. “All this time I carried a machine gun and saw a lot of fighting, lost a lot of friends… I think about those guys a lot. A bright event in my life was the purchase of my first dog.”

Two and a half years ago, Gouda’s first service dog died of cancer.

“It takes time to recover from that,” Goad said. “Then they grabbed me and asked me if I wanted a second dog. (They) don’t let any veteran go without a second dog if they lose their first dog.”

Goud was a single parent and said his service dog kept him company and became a companion.

“I’m the only male in the Chi Omega Mother’s Day photo at the University of Oklahoma,” Goad said. “I had a really good life, but it got a lot better when I was offered a dog.”

He said he couldn’t afford a service dog himself, which can cost more than $30,000 to train.

A long process, a connection for life

The time a veteran applies through the organization to receive a service dog for a graduation ceremony is a years-long process, said Lib Anderson, veteran coordinator for Patriot Paws.

In dogs, this process begins in the first few months of life, at the age of six to eight weeks. Dianna Hefley, a trainer at Patriot Paws in College Station, said the dogs rotate with different trainers, learn different turns and socialize. Their training is exposed to as many things as possible, which can last anywhere from 18 months to three years.

“The dog will tell us when they’re ready,” Hefley said.

The dogs are trained by professional trainers, Texas A&M University student volunteers and inmates from four Texas prisons in partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The partnership has changed the lives of inmates who have applied to train a dog, Hefley said.

“A lot of these offenders they took away from society, but they want to give back,” Hefley said. “A lot of them will say they found a calling or a purpose, and that’s a big thing to say you found your calling while serving your sentence.”

Before receiving a dog, program veterans go through an application process. The committee determines whether they will benefit from the program. If selected, they spend two weeks prior to the graduation ceremony to pick up and train the dog.

In the first week, dogs and veterans are paired. A group of four to six veterans interacts with twice as many dogs, and trainers observe which dog works well with which veteran.

“We let our dogs choose their veterans,” Hefley said.

Sometimes the connection happens immediately.

According to Hefley, service dog Betty White was an almost immediate match with U.S. Army veteran Armando Alonzo before the October graduation. The first day they met, Betty White didn’t want to work with anyone but Alonzo.

In the second week, paired dogs and veterans learn more than 65 specialized signals and behaviors. They visit Buc-ee’s, Bass Pro Shops, and Target and learn to interact with each other and the world.

After the graduation ceremony, the dog and the veteran go home together. Stevens said she is amazed at how dogs can change the lives of veterans. They saved lives, picked up the phone to call 911 in a medical emergency, or found help from their fellow veterans after a fall.

Kenneth Harvey of Virginia attended October graduation with his dog, Sebert, as a Patriot Paws graduate. He served nearly 30 years in the military and broke his neck twice, once while jumping from an airplane. He received a brain injury and was treated for three and a half years.

“By the time I got through (Patriot Paws), I was terrible,” Harvey said. “I was so devastated. I felt like I didn’t even deserve what I was getting.”

Harvey received the Sebert in 2019, the same year as Connell. Harvey said his dog is always ready to stop his fall, help with a medical emergency or pick up his dropped wallet.

Harvey said he feels better since Sebert came into his life.

“You think the worst of yourself and you think nobody really cares,” Harvey said. “Your mind is playing tricks on you, and a dog seems to know when it’s happening. He’s just there to get really friendly and want to lick you… they make you feel complete.”

Life support

• Suicide and Crisis Helpline: If you or someone you know needs support right now, call or text 988. Press 1 for military or veteran help. Chat in 988lifeline.org.
• Crisis Textline: 24/7 support by texting HOME to 741741. More information at crisistextline.org.
• North Texas Office of Behavioral Health: 24-hour emergency hotline at 1-866-260-8000 or at ntbha.org
• North Texas Suicide and Crisis Center: Contact a trained counselor at the 24-hour hotline at 214-828-1000 or contact sccenter.org
• Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line: Grant Halliburton Foundation connecting North Texans with mental health resources tailored to each caller at 972-525-8181 or go to HereForTexas.com