Injured veterans returning home from Iraq have a long road of recovery ahead of them. From having to deal with PTS and physical injuries, veterans now have an option to be aided by assistance dogs 
that do much more than just provide physical and eye-sight assistance. Much like how U.S. Army Captain James Van Thach has found stability in his life after being honorably discharged.
“I was in the hospital, looking at other soldiers missing arms and legs,” Van Thach, 36, recalled last week, sitting in the yard of his Queens home. “I felt like I didn’t deserve to be in the room with them. They needed spots on the plane to leave Iraq.”
He’s also found a new secret weapon to help ease his physical and emotional stresses — a lab/golden retriever mix named Liz.
Van Thach and Liz recently finished a demanding two-week training program at Canine Companions for Independence on Long Island.
As an assistance dog, Liz helps Van Thach with tasks such as picking up dropped items. While not formally trained to soothe his post traumatic stress disorder, she is a calming influence.
It’s wonderful that dogs are now a part of veteran rehabilitation, trained to be more than just being a friendly companion and tasked to welcome the country’s injured vets back to society.
