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Service dog has helped Iraq war veteran start to live his life again
Date published: 1/25/2010
Isaiah Schaffer joined the Marines at 17, eager to fight for his country. After three tours in Iraq, he is back home in Spotsylvania struggling with the physical and psychic wounds of the war. This is the second of a two-part series about Schaffer and his efforts to recapture a normal life. A dog is God’s way of proving He doesn’t want us to walk alone. --From the journal kept by Annette, a puppy raiser with Puppies Behind Bars By LAURA L. HUTCHISONSalvation padded into Isaiah Schaffer's life on four paws. Fifteen months ago, the 25-year-old Spotsylvania County man was essentially a shut-in. Having returned from three tours in Iraq with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury, he was prone to flashbacks and nightmares. He rarely left his one-bedroom apartment "I would drop money out the window to have my friends go get me food," he said. "I would get nervous in different situations--a crying baby, lines, someone approaching me from behind, crowds. I couldn't watch behind me. If there was a loud noise, I'd fall to the floor. "I was in the apartment for a very, very long time. I thought, 'I've got to do something.'" Schaffer's mother had seen a Katie Couric story about Puppies Behind Bars, a nonprofit organization that uses prison inmates to train service dogs. In 2006, the organization started Dog Tags to train dogs for wounded warriors, especially those with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. "I sent in an application and wrote a letter. I basically said, 'This is how I was before the war. This is how I am now.'" His mother wrote a similar letter. Schaffer heard about a week later that he'd been chosen from among applicants all over the country to receive a dog. Three months later, the organization flew him and his mother to Florida to begin a two-week training process. The trip, the dog and the training were all free. He was paired with a chocolate English Labrador named Meghan, trained by a New York prison inmate named Annette. "Both her parents were champions," Schaffer said of Meghan. "I guess she couldn't be because she's pigeon-toed in front. I think it's cute."
Date published: 1/25/2010
Thank you for you service to our country. I got chills reading your story. Thank you for being brave enough to put something so personal out there for the world to read. You are an inspiration to the other men & women of our armed forces. May God bless you & your new family.
I'm a PTSD survivor myself and just want to offer you HOPE that you will be able to heal in time. Just take one step, one day, at a time. I will be praying for your complete healing. I'm so glad you have Meghan and your daughter. They will always give you unconditional love. Thank you for keeping my family and me safe. I owe you my freedom. Stay strong!
Thank you Mr. Schaffer for your service to our county. I hope Meghan continues to help you and make you feel a little more at ease. Congradulations on your daughter! And thank you FLS for reporting this story. It's a great way to educate the public about different types of services dogs and their impacts.
Awesome story man. Hope all is well.
in their ignorance made you leave. I hope they have been informed to let you back, that is if you want to. ALL business/store employees have to be educated to accept ALL kinds of service dogs, but that is the responsibility of management. Thank you for your service to our Country.
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