From Uggie InThe Artist to Post-war Trauma Therapy, 2011 is the Year of the Dog!

As Representative Michael Grimm of Staten Island knows all too well, the horrors of war can stay with veterans for years after they return home. Representative Grimm is a Gulf War veteran who volunteered for the war at the age of 19 and has spoken quite eloquently on the suffering that faces many soldiers once their time in war-torn areas of the world comes to an end. Many veterans diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions can go for years trying to cope by themselves with the psychological pain they deal with on a daily basis. And so, in the summer of 2011 Representative Grimm proposed an intriguing bill, the Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act (H.R. 198). The purpose of proposing the bill was to establish a program to assist veterans already receiving traditional therapy in obtaining this additional aid in their trauma recovery. The proposed bill establishes a pilot program in several Veterans’ Affairs Medical Centers over five years to educate veterans with mental health conditions about how trained dogs can aid in their recovery and assesses the benefits of using such dogs. On October 11, 2011, the proposed bill passed the House of Representatives by unanimous vote.

This is not the first instance this year in which dogs have featured prominently in the mental health and wellness of their two legged friends. In response to the stress and anxiety of final exams for law students, George Mason University School of Law invited 15 adoptable poppies to campus to act as therapy dogs and help the students relax prior to exams.

Finally, no story would be complete regarding the healing powers of dog companionship without a reference to the November 2011 film release The Artist and the star turn by 9 year old Jack Russell Terrier Uggie. The film, starring Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell and of course Uggie, tells the story of an aging silent film star George Valentin (Dujardin) in the 1920s and 1930s who sees his appeal as a box office draw wane as the “talkies” start to take over. The film is luminescent, and the acting magnificent, but the real surprise of the film is the relationship that the main character Valentin has with his dog (Uggie). The companionship, love, loyalty and trust that they have for each other undeniable, and the support that the dog gives to Valentin in his most trying, desperate moments is poignant and remarkable. And the critics are taking notice. NY Post critic Lou Lumenick has a blog entitled Oscar Watch: Go, Uggie! and Moveline’s S.T. Van Airsdale started a #ConsiderUggie hashtag on Twitter. Uggie also has a Facebook page and a loyal fan following. While Uggie’s chances of an Oscar nomination look somewhat bleak – Rin Tin Tin and Toto never took home a statue – the recognition of the healing power of our four-legged friends is wonderful acknowledgement in its own right. Go Uggie indeed!

http://grimm.house.gov/press-release/rep-grimm%E2%80%99s-veterans-dog-therapy-training-act-passes-house

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/cuddly-puppies-help-law-students-de-stress-before-exams/2011/12/01/gIQA0s9LIO_story.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/movies/oscar_watch_go_uggie_utU0M6CZeEFbNbKO5Y2VEO


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