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When Sophia, a 6-year-old tan and white pit bull mix, was a puppy, D.J. Chadwick was deployed to Afghanistan with the Marines.
On Saturday, Sophia went home with Chadwick and his family, along with their fluffy black flat-coated retriever, Gypsy, part of a Pets for Vets adoption program offered through Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends has waived during thepast week through Sundsy the normal adoption fees of $75 for dogs and $25 for cats, thanks to a generous donor, for military veterans — people like Michael Hooten, a Navy vet who brought his wife, Kristin, and their children to adopt a tiny black kitten named Nina to take the place of their 18-year-old cat who recently died.
Canines With A Cause offered free obedience training for the new dog owners to help them adjust to their new families.
The group also takes shelter dogs and works with inmates at the Utah women's prison to train companion animals, placing them with returning troops dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder — dogs like Tango, a black lab mix who found a new home Saturday with two veterans.
It is estimated that as many as 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and up to 30 percent of Vietnam vets suffer from PTSD in a given year, according to federal figures.
The dogs can sense when an owner's anxiety spikes and can respond by helping the vet find a quiet place, with licks of reassurance or by cuddling on an owner's lap, said Cathy King, the executive director and founder of the group.
"Most of it is just that comforting companionship," King said. "Military people are used to having someone watching their back. That first help they need when they get back to get over the hump is to know it's OK."
Common PTSD symptoms are hypervigilance, King said, and an inability to sleep. In those cases, the pets can provide comfort and reassurance. She said vets have told her that the night they got their dog was the first decent sleep they had had since returning home, since they knew their new companion was keeping watch. Caring for the animal also offers structure and responsibility and helps reintegrate the vet to normal life.
"The dog kind of forces them to get back into being a person again," King said.
The Pets for Vets event ends Sunday. Best Friends is located in Sugar House at 2005 S. 1100 East. More information on Canines With A Cause is available at canineswithacause.org.
Twitter: @RobertGehrke