Edinburgh Napier University have penned a report on assistance dogs for the charity, Bravehound, with evidence from veterans and their families about the support they receive.
The charity helps military veterans who have mental health challenges which stem from their time in the armed forces, by giving them assistance dogs to help deal with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
One of the new dogs has been named Theo after a military service dog, Theo DM, who died just hours after his handler, Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was killed in Afghanistan in 2011.
Liam’s mother Jane Duffy was pleased to agree to the naming of the young assistance dog saying it is a privilege that her son is being remembered in this way by the charity.
The university’s Centre for Military Research Education & Public Engagement (CMREPE) found that the dogs can have a significant positive effect on the veterans.
Lead author and CMREPE Director, Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith, said: “It is very brave for a charity to open itself up to an independent evaluation. Our research demonstrated that assistance dogs can have a profound, and in many cases lifesaving, impact on veterans as they adapt to life after service.
“The testimonies we gathered were deeply moving, with many veterans describing how Bravehound’s support restored a sense of purpose, structure, and stability at times when they felt most vulnerable.
“This work also highlights the wider value of social prescribing, an approach with deep historical roots at Craiglockhart, where holistic rehabilitation practices were pioneered during the First World War.
“We are grateful for the responsibility of evaluating Bravehound’s service, and in doing so contributing to the wider body of rigorous military research undertaken by expert researchers at the Centre for Military Research Education and Public Engagement at Edinburgh Napier University.”
Bravehound Founder and CEO Fiona MacDonald said: “This report is such an important step for us. We are incredibly grateful to the Veterans’ Foundation for commissioning it, who are longstanding supporters of our work, and to Edinburgh Napier University for carrying it out.
“Hearing from veterans who have been partnered with our Bravehounds makes me so proud of our team, from our trustees, staff and volunteers to our funders and supporters.
“The launch was an important opportunity to discuss the challenges of securing sustainable, long-term funding.”
