A service for those who have served: Steelers raise money for military veteran service dogs
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Steelers have gone to the dogs.
Service dogs, that is.
On Wednesday night at Acrisure Stadium, a fundraiser was held for Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs.
The program has donated nearly 400 service dogs to veterans across the United States, each of which can cost up to $30,000 to train.
But for those veterans – they're free.
The dogs are trained to help veterans cope with PTSD and can alert them to signs of panic attacks, nightmares, or medical events.
They also can do things around the house such as turning on lights and opening and closing doors.
Their services are customized based on need.
"He alerts me, he knows the situation of the chemical mixtures in your brain, they smell them, they pick up on them, he comes and alerts me as he feels like my levels are rising," explained Bryan Carpenter, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. "He'll come up and he'll nudge me, or he'll howl, or he'll sit beside and hit me with his paw."
The program said it has prevented suicide among veterans who have been given a Guardian Angels Medical Service Dog.
