That’s why Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has introduced the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act. The bill, cleverly called PAWS, would be a $10 million pilot program that would pair post-9/11 veterans with severe PTSD with service dogs, according to a press release.
“The threat to our service members does not end when they return home, as evidenced by the tragic rates of veteran suicides,” DeSantis wrote in a guest column for The Florida Times-Union. “We must make sure that all veterans are honored and taken care of.”
Cole Lyle, a Marine who served overseas for six years, and his service dog, Kaya, inspired the bill. According to DeSantis’ column in The Florida Times Union, when Lyle returned home from Afghanistan in 2011, he had a post-deployment health assessment. It indicated that Lyle was suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress and anxiety. He was prescribed medication, but he didn’t feel like it was helping.
“In fact, I thought they were exacerbating my symptoms,” Lyle told Fox and Friends.
After two of his friends who also has PTSD killed themselves, he decided to quit his medication cold turkey after a year and a half of treatment.