Service Dog For Veteran Josh Schutt

Please help Veteran Josh Schutt get his Service Dog.  Josh served 6 years in the US Army, with a tour in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Josh Lives with PTSD and a Traumatic Brain Injury.  Josh turned to Service Protection Dogs For World Peace for help.  Please help us help Josh.  

Josh Schutt's  Story

I served in the US Army from 1998 until October, 2004. I was medically discharged due to injuries I suffered in Iraq. On August 1st, 2003  my weapon, a .50 cal machine gun, misfired and exploded on me.  I was left only holding what they call the butterfly handles.  I took shrapnel to my leg and my stomach. I had an operation to remove the metal throughout my body.  I spent time recovering in Iraq, then Germany and ultimately at Walter Reed Medical Center. 

I was medically discharge from the military for my physically injuries. However, my emotional and psychological injuries will live within me for the rest of my life.   I experience night terrors, paranoia, anxiety, physical stress and panic disorder.  I finally went to the VA where I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). PTSD is a type of anxiety disorder usually caused by a life threatening event(s). It is diagnosed when someone experiences recurring flashbacks and high levels of anxiety that continue a month after the traumatic event.

My doctors suggested a multitude of medications but they weren’t enough.  I have been researching other methods of treatment and stumbled upon something called a PTSD service dog. I realized they had helped many Veterans like me deal with PTSD. I discovered that having a PTSD service dog would allow me to live a more normal life. For example, I am constantly looking around to make sure there aren’t any snipers or IUDs hidden in my surrounding but the sense of security the service dog will give me will allow me to relax.  It will also wake me up when I have night terrors, which are frequent. It will help me to go out and be social in big crowds, which I typically avoid. If it senses me getting stressed, a PTSD dog is trained to calm me back down avoiding a full blown panic attack.   That is all I want.  Relief, Freedom and protection.

The challenge with obtaining a specially trained service dog is that they cost more than I can afford due to the fact that the training is so extensive that is takes years to complete. There are many agencies out there that offer free dogs to Veterans but they have an extremely long waiting list. I am now working with Serviceprotectiondogs.org   They are working with me and for me to help me raise the funding I need to acquire a service dog.  

I need your help. Please help me raise the necessary funding  by donating anything you can and by passing this along to everyone you know. It would be greatly appreciated.   I will never regret my service to our country. Please help me recover by helping me get my service dog.  Thank you,  Josh

Please contact [email protected] for more information and to see my future service dog family visit www.gatorlandk9.com