OCEANSIDE, Calif. — For over a decade, Shelter to Soldier has been helping veterans suffering from mental health issues by pairing them with shelter dogs that are specially trained as service animals. Now, the program is expanding to include first responders and healthcare heroes.
The phrase "dogs are a man's best friend" takes on new meaning at Shelter to Soldier. Just ask Tom Norton, a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Gulf War.
"I felt myself pull inward and want to be more reclusive and introverted and somewhat antisocial," Norton said, reflecting on his struggles over the past 20 years.
That changed when he met Liberty Ann Justice, also known as Libby. "You can tell her anything and she completely understands and loves you through it," Norton said.
Their bond started a year ago when he was accepted into the Shelter to Soldier program.
The program adopts dogs from local shelters and professionally trains them to become service or emotional support dogs for post-9/11 veterans suffering from various traumas and injuries.
"Libby was actually with another veteran, and that veteran fell ill and was unable to care for her, so she went back into the program," Norton told ABC 10News.
The two were a quick match.
"We have a bond. She comes running when I come in, she can hear my voice. I'm very calm when she's around, you can see she's very calm, so that's the goal—the calming effect," he said.
The program lasts several months, focusing on task commands and basic obedience.
"They're responding to seizures, they're waking up our veterans from nightmares and night terrors. They are going and turning on the light if they need to," said Nickey Moore, the director of training and operations.
Moore said that this year, the board voted to expand the emotional support program to first responders. "The big push was the LA wildfires, we saw how devastating that was to us as a community and really thought about the people that were there every single day experiencing it," she said.
Norton believes the program is beneficial for anyone who qualifies. "You can go to a therapist, you can talk to a partner, but it just never makes sense; it never translates to them. The dog can sense when I'm anxious or tense, and that's all she cares about. She wants to make sure I'm okay."
Norton and Libby are currently in phase two of the program. This summer, they will be ready to graduate. First responders can start applying for the program now through an online application. All first responders, including nurses and doctors, qualify for the program.
