JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- Soldiers gathered Thursday at the Ike Skelton Training Site to listen to a presentation on how to fight the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder through interaction with animals.
The program is designed to help combat veterans fight the symptoms of PTSD by re-integrating civilian life through interaction with shelter dogs.
Over the last two years more than two million soldiers have been deployed into combat and when they come home some of them need help fighting the symptoms of PTSD.
The director of University of Missouri's research center for human animal interaction said using sheltered dogs to help soldiers can be life changing.
"When we interact with animals there are neurochemicals that are released in our brain that help us with mood control, feel less anxious, less depressed, and feel better,” MU College of Veterinary Medicine Rebecca Johnson said. “So exposure to these dogs will give these service members all of those benefits."
Johnson said having shelter dogs interact with service members is not just helping soldiers it's preparing the dogs for permanent homes.
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