Military Review English Edition November December 2016 | Page 93

DOG THERAPY

Cpl. Kyle Click, a dog handler with 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan,
shares a moment with Windy, an improvised-explosive-device detection dog, while waiting to resume a security patrol 27 February 2012 in
Garmsir District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder, U.S. Marine Corps)

A Call for Research on the
Impact of Dogs Deployed
in Units to Reduce
Posttraumatic Stress
Rebecca Segal

T

here is evidence that dogs should be deployed in
forward-operating units to reduce the incidence
and severity of posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD). PTSD is a major medical concern for the U.S.
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2016

military, yet current therapies are of limited effectiveness, and they do not begin until weeks after a stressful
event.1 The body’s response to stress actually begins on
day zero and, if severe, is referred to as an acute stress
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