- Andrew Fish, Treasurer
- Loren Wright, Secretary
- Timothy Muntean, Veteran, Board Member
22 Veterans a day, over 8000 a year, commit suicide on American Soil.
Many American Heroes return home to find their greatest battle still awaits. For a Veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the battle is never over. They come home and find everything has changed… because they have been changed.
Thanks to generous donations, our heroes can live life again.
There is no cure for PTSD, but service dogs can reduce PTSD symptoms with life-changing — results. With a canine Battle Buddy by their side, Veterans with PTSD can regain their freedom and independence.
Many of our service dogs are rescued from animal shelters. All our service dogs spend 5+ months in intensive training, then are carefully matched with a Veteran handler for five more weeks of training and bonding, creating the ultimate partnership.
In the United States Army, soldiers are assigned a partner – or “battle buddy” – as a friend and ally to assist one another in and out of combat. Northwest Battle buddies are not only for companionship and to watch one another’s back, but also for the reduction of suicide, keying into negative thoughts and feelings, and stepping in to help. Northwest Battle Buddies is based on that principle of mutual assistance — a service dog and Veteran depend on one another for support and care.
“Post-Traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after the Veteran experiences a traumatic event. All Veterans with PTSD have lived through a traumatic event that caused them to fear for their lives, see horrible things, and feel helpless… After the event, the Veteran may feel scared, confused, or angry. If these feelings don’t go away or they get worse, the symptoms may disrupt the person’s life, making it hard to continue daily activities.” (WeHonorVeterans.org)