Support a New Service Dog for a Brighter Future

Hi everyone! My name is Country (Roger Lambert)

I live with severe psychiatric conditions that require the support of my incredible service dog Bonnie, who is trained to help people with PTSD and has been with me for 5 years now.

Before Bonnie came into my life, I struggled with various medications that didn't provide long-term relief. I often battled paranoid attacks, major depression disorder and personality schizoaffective disorder depressive type. My childhood was filled with violence, abuse, and trauma, which left deep scars. Whenever I feel anxious or distressed, Bonnie grounds me by snuggling close and offering her love, which has been my most effective treatment.

As Bonnie gets older, she's starting to miss cues, spending more time napping than working hard and is ready for a well earned retirement. Her joints ache, her muscles are sore and it's very hard to get in and out of the vehicle needed to travel with me. But I can’t get through my days of work and school without her assistance.

In so many words this is why I’m here looking for someone to help. It can take a few years to train a new service dog and with Bonnie almost 12 now, I’m running out of time quickly.

A new service dog will help continue the stable lifeline needed for me, helping me navigate through my hard situations and my new life living in Pennsylvania.

I’m excited to share that Coastal Service Dogs is willing to have me in their program to find a new companion—a Labrador puppy. This pup will help me continue the support that Bonnie has provided and give me a renewed sense of freedom.

https://coastalservicedogs.com/donations/

I’m reaching out for help to cover the costs of the puppy, transporting the puppy and training which is provided by Coastal Service Dogs out of the state of Maryland.

Your donations will ensure that I will continue to have the help I need to get through the days, continuing to work and attend school to fulfill the purpose God has placed on my heart.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Your support—whether through sharing, donating, or simply offering kind thoughts—means the world to me.

Thank you so much!

Meet the Lancaster County man who legally changed his name to Country Life Jesus

5 Top PTSD Service Dog Tasks

Psychiatric service dogs can perform many different tasks for people with PTSD, including the following:

1. Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)

Deep pressure therapy involves the dog placing pressure on the owner (usually by laying on top of them) to help them calm down when they’re having a panic attack or flashback.

2. Interruption Tasks

Interruption tasks involve the dog interfering when the owner is experiencing difficult emotions or engaging in potentially harmful behavior. They may lick the owner’s face or hands, for example, when they’re crying, dissociating, having a panic attack, or scratching/picking at the skin. They may also interrupt and wake the owner when they’re having a nightmare.

3. Movement Tasks

PTSD service dogs can also perform several movement tasks to assist their owners. They may block the handler from moving toward a dangerous situation, for example, or circle the handler as a form of crowd control in a busy location. They can also pull wheelchairs, check rooms for intruders to ensure the owner they’re in a safe place or deliver notes to get help when the owner is struggling.

4. Guide Tasks

If someone with PTSD is struggling to navigate on their own, whether they have vision problems or not, a psychiatric service dog can perform guide tasks to help. They may guide the owner to an exit or specific location, bring them to a particular item or person, or guide them home while making sure they avoid moving objects.

5. Call Tasks

Service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs, can also be trained to call for help when their owner needs additional support. They can use dog-friendly phones to call 911, call pre-programmed numbers, or call a suicide hotline.

People with PTSD experience the following symptoms:

Intrusive thoughts (involuntary memories, nightmares, flashbacks, etc.)

Avoidant behavior to evade memories of the traumatic event (staying away from certain places, avoiding certain activities, refusing to talk about experiences, etc.)

Cognition and mood changes (an inability to remember key aspects of the event, negative thoughts and feelings about self or others, ongoing feelings of fear, anger, guilt, or shame)

Changes in mood and reactivity (becoming more irritable, having angry outbursts, behaving recklessly, being hypervigilant, or having trouble concentrating or sleeping)