Veterans and their families have given powerful accounts of the support provided by assistance dogs in an Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) report for the charity Bravehound.
Bravehound supports military veterans who face mental health challenges related to their time in the armed forces. Its team provides assistance dogs for former personnel with a mental health diagnosis, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
An independent evaluation, commissioned by The Veterans’ Foundation and carried out by academics from ENU’s Centre for Military Research Education & Public Engagement (CMREPE), has found that assistance dogs can have a significant, positive effect on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Some of the veterans interviewed as part of the research spoke about how their dog, and Bravehound, offered a supportive network for them and their families.
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.”
Meeting Theo
Launching the report at ENU’s Craiglockhart campus – the site of a former wartime hospital – also demonstrated the poignant impact of service dogs in the armed forces.
Bravehound names many of its dogs after those who have been honoured with the highest award any animal can receive in conflict, the PDSA Dickin Medal. One of these dogs was Theo DM, who died three hours after his handler, Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, was killed in Afghanistan in 2011.
At the report’s launch, Liam’s mum Jane Duffy was introduced to Theo the Bravehound assistance dog, having given her permission for him to be named in honour of them both.
Jane said: “Coming here and meeting Theo, named after my son’s dog, is such a privilege.
“As a mum, your biggest fear is that your son would be forgotten about. What Bravehound have done is amazing.”
Jane was joined by her daughters Laura and Nicola, to meet Theo – who has been partnered with veteran Henry McClelland.
Fiona MacDonald added: “Seeing Jane and her daughters meeting Theo and Henry brought a lump to my throat.
“It is absolute privilege to honour the memory and courage of Corporal Liam Tasker who, along with Theo DM, saved many lives.
“Bravehound is very much a community, dedicated to supporting the Veterans who we are so proud to serve.”
Pictures by Phil Wilkinson (Philspix.com)
Top: Buddy with the final evaluation report
Middle: (L-R) Professor Gerri Matthews-Smith, Buddy, Fiona MacDonald
Bottom: Jane Duffy and her daughters meet Henry McClelland and his Bravehound Theo