Service Canines: The Cost of “Freedom”…

2015-08-24T10:51:56-04:00

The Triple Entendre

Most of you who follow my posts, or who follow me on one of my social networks know that:

I am a combat wounded 30 year Marine Corps veteran of multiple wars / conflicts – as well as having had a long and varied public service and law enforcement career.

I have a Service Dog named Freedom (he was named in a national naming contest before I ever got or met him).

This is a quick story about the cost of Freedom – from three perspectives.

During my service I sustained the normal wear-and-tear injuries (knees, ankles, etc. from parachuting; hearing from gunfire, explosions, helicopters; and more…), but I also sustained some significant damage when I was wounded (blown up), to include TBI (traumatic brain injury), lungs (burned), heart, eyes, inner ear (affecting balance), spinal injuries, etc. In addition, because of the repeated involvement in combat situations in multiple wars/conflicts, the effects over the years (cumulative and untreated) resulted in fairly significant PTS(d).

When I started going through a bad time in 2013/2014, I decided to do something about it, so I contacted K9s For Warriors and applied for the program. It was a very involved process, because they check and verify your medical records, military records, financials, home situation, and more, to decide if you are in fact a Veteran that qualifies under the program, have the issues you say you have, that a service dog would be a good fit, and that you can provide a loving, safe and appropriate home for the dog – who is almost certainly going to be a rescue dog (95%).

After all that, they have you come down to their facility for a three-week intensive live-in training program with your new partner (K9), who has already been through 6-8 months of basic training, as well as up to 3 months of specific training focusing on your particular issues… And the intensive training continues for the first full month after you return home!

Man – and I thought boot camp was rough! (well…actually it was…).

Now here’s the rub. There are additional costs – different for each K9 / Warrior team. For me, it was significant, mainly because of the serious asthma I suffer from as a result of the burned lungs, as well as additional complications from the heart injuries that compound the effects. It turns out that dog dander (and dust) is a big trigger for asthma – and Labradors have skin and dander issues…

Bringing Freedom home was killing me (mostly figuratively). I couldn’t breathe. I was having serious asthma attacks, and ended up in urgent / emergency room care numerous times – coughing my lungs out (I have cough-variant asthma), and having significant trouble breathing. Any activity other than sitting in my recliner with a nebulizer on my face was out of the question.

We tackled that issue with numerous solutions:

Changed the home air filter to the highest quality asthma-friendly filter
Had all the air ducts cleaned and sterilized
Put individual filters in every single duct opening in the house (intake and outflow)
Got an automated robot vacuum that sweeps the house twice a day
Got the highest asthma-rated home air filter, and I move it from room to room as I move
Worked with my Veterinarian, Dog Groomer, and my Doctor to find the best solutions for his diet, grooming, shampoo, supplements, my medications and precautions.
Put him on a very strict diet (Royal Canin – Labrador formula), which has additional oils and supplements to increase skin and coat health, reducing dander.
Give him additional fish oil capsules in his meals to increase the oils in his skin even more.
Modified my truck to install an in-cabin air filter (I would have attacks as soon as I turned on the air conditioner or heater and circulated the air in the truck).
Increased manual dusting, sweeping, and mopping schedules in the home.
Had all the carpets cleaned and sanitized.
Moved him from sleeping in my room to a separate room in the house to sleep.
Have him bathed, or bathe him every week at a minimum. Curry-comb, brush and blow or vacuum him out daily. Use dog “bath” wipes between baths to keep him clean.
And many more…too many to list.

And after months of working on this, I still have asthma attacks – just not as serious (usually…), and not as frequently.

This is not the only cost. As anyone with a Service Dog can tell you, there are daily assaults on your privacy – people just can’t leave you alone when you have a dog. Some have good intentions, some are just ignorant, and some are downright hostile and angry. A good friend of mine (William “Rick” Smith) wrote a great guest post about K9 Protocol – what do you do when dealing with a K9 / Handler team.

A big one, at least for me, is the notoriety and stigma of having a dog with you everywhere you go. Everyone looks at you (actually, the dog), and many folks, even some of your closest friends and family will never understand – they may be embarrassed to be with you, may think you have the dog for attention or as a crutch, or that people will think you are mentally weak or unbalanced.

All told, it is a heavy price to pay to have Freedom here with me. Is it all worth it? Absolutely. I can’t imagine him not being here with me.

So…let’s tally up the cost of Freedom!

America’s Military serving to preserve your (our) “Freedom”: Many servicemembers injured, physically, emotionally and/or spiritually, by the effects of their service to this great nation. Many others killed or who have died (immediately or over a long period of time) as a result of their service to keep our Country strong and free.

The financial cost – over $20,000 – to train “Freedom” (and me), as well as the hundreds or even thousands of dollars I’ve personally spent (and will spend) in costs to keep him, to compensate for the disabilities I have due to my military service, in peacetime and in war. Additionally, the emotional cost – the stigma and additional strain caused by attitudes towards what some believe to be just “vets with pets” – which are in fact life-saving service dogs (see Rick’s post).

And the actual cost of my dog “Freedom”, and what he brings to my life? Priceless…

http://www.jameskuiken.com/sergeant-major-musings/the-cost-of-freedom

THE COST OF “FREEDOM”…

Freedom is not free for anyone. Freedom costs something and that is something I have always been willing to pay.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Aug 24 at 2015 10:59 AM

2015-08-24T10:59:20-04:00

Very good read. Didn't know what to expect when I started to read this but a good story none the less. Thanks for sharing.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Aug 24 at 2015 10:59 AM

2015-08-24T10:59:30-04:00

SgtMaj James Kuiken A very moving post, SgtMaj, thank you for sharing. While I sympathize with everything you have to do to keep him, I am glad --very glad-- that he's worth doing all that, for you.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Aug 24 at 2015 11:00 AM

2015-08-24T11:00:34-04:00

They should look at Greyhound Rescue. Greyhounds are awesome dogs, and they do not produce as much dander.

SgtMaj James Kuiken Thank you for sharing.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Aug 24 at 2015 11:10 AM

2015-08-24T11:10:45-04:00

SgtMaj James Kuiken - Absolutely inspiring post, Sergeant Major. I will share this with many. Thank you for your service and for enlightening me (and others) about the cost of Freedom. God bless you.

Response by CPO Joseph Grant made Aug 24 at 2015 11:11 AM

2015-08-24T11:11:51-04:00

That's great. I've only seen one other service dog for PTSD. I hope it helps.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Aug 24 at 2015 11:18 AM

2015-08-24T11:18:52-04:00

SgtMaj James Kuiken, great story. You are both fortunate to have one another, and we are fortunate to have had you and others like you defending our country.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 24 at 2015 11:36 AM

2015-08-24T11:36:48-04:00

SgtMaj James Kuiken I'm sorry to hear that you are suffering so much for your years of dedicated service to Corps and Country.

There are dog breeds such as poodles which don't have dander. Perhaps you should investigate whether a different partner dog would be a better match for you. If Freedom is causing you so much physical anguish, he isn't really helping that much.

And the physical anguish will only aggravate all the emotional stuff you have from the TBIs, PTSD, disability, etc...

Also, I hope you're seeing an awesome therapist, to work on the emotional stuff...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 24 at 2015 11:52 AM

2015-08-24T11:52:41-04:00

What makes me go ape shit crazy are folks who do not acknowledge the multiple ways freedom has costs.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 3:05 PM

2015-08-24T15:05:14-04:00

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2015 7:03 PM

2015-08-24T19:03:25-04:00

SGM Good to see you again on here. Thank you for this post. I wish you well.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 24 at 2015 9:39 PM

2015-08-24T21:39:00-04:00

There is astronomically something wrong to us the dogs in the way we do and turn our backs on them.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 28 at 2015 2:32 AM

2015-08-28T02:32:55-04:00

Thanks for sharing SgtMaj. It sounds like it's been a struggle but Freedom has saved your life. Plus, he's the absolute greatest breed EVER, the Labrador Retriever. I've got an 8 year old Chocolate Lab named Ben who is my best friend and calms me down when I get upset. Yeah he pisses me off occasionally (what dog doesn't?) but he helps more often than not! He's not a trained service dog, but "just" a pet.