DENVER/April 4, 2023 – How are service dogs impacted over time when paired with people diagnosed with PTSD? A research team hopes to answer this question in a newly funded study. The project, funded by Morris Animal Foundation, will be conducted by a team based at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.
Led by Dr. Kevin Morris, Research Professor and American Humane Endowed Chair in the Graduate School of Social Work and its Institute for Human-Animal Connection’s Executive Director, the team will examine active service dogs' genetic makeup, physiology and behaviors over time to learn if and how pairing them with veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder impacts the dogs' health and well-being.
“There is growing evidence that pairing military veterans with trained psychiatric service dogs can reduce PTSD symptoms,” said Dr. Morris. “What we don't know is how service dogs are impacted. We hope the findings of our study will result in recommendations that can improve the health and well-being of the dogs engaged in this important work.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder impacts nearly one-third of military veterans who have experienced combat. Currently available medications and mental health therapies have limited effectiveness, and many people are not cured by existing treatments. Although service dogs as a therapeutic option for PTSD have become more common, no one has studied how the dogs are impacted over time by this work. The results of this study will guide the ethical use of psychiatric service dogs and provide more tools to track their health and welfare. This research is part of a larger study that will follow veterans with PTSD before and after receiving a service dog.
“The benefit of service dogs to people with a wide variety of medical conditions is unquestioned,” said Dr. Kathy Tietje, Morris Animal Foundation Chief Program Officer. “Understanding how that service affects canine well-being is an important area of research that is just beginning.”
About Morris Animal Foundation
Morris Animal Foundation’s mission is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Denver, it is one of the largest nonprofit animal health research organizations in the world, funding more than $149 million in nearly 3,000 critical studies across a broad range of species. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org.
Media Contact: Annie Mehl