Pets2Vets ~ Therapeutic Companionship & Love

Thanks to veteran John Silva for spotting this AP article on MSNBC War vets, shelter dogs heal together in program, about Pets2Vets, which helps stressed soldiers and vets find comfort, love, and support through a bond with needy animals. See here veteran Will "Ace" Acevedo hugging Xena, a Jack Russell mix he adopted...

"She's done wonders for me," says Avedo, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. "Instead of you focusing on yourself and your battle wounds, you focus on the dog."

I've written before about both the healing power of pets for the ill and elderly, and also about Puppies Behind Bars and the rehabilitative power of animals in prisons. Not only are animals great family companions, but their role in human mental and social health and well-being is blossoming.