PTSD's best friend, a service dog is helping veteran

WENATCHEE -- Life has become calmer, safer and less stressful for Chris Goehner since he paired up with Pele.

Goehner, 25, a Wenatchee Valley native attending Central Washington University in Ellensburg, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It's something he picked up while serving two tours as a Navy corpsman attached to a Marine Corps emergency room unit in Iraq. He worked as a medic in Kuwait and Iraq in 2004 and 2005, before being diagnosed with PTSD and discharged in 2006.

Pele is his service dog. Since November, the two have become inseparable.

Goehner is one of only 21 Iraq War veterans suffering from PTSD who have been paired with service dogs since the military recently started a new program to try to help soldiers with the disorder.

Pele was trained for the program by an organization called Puppies Behind Bars. The nonprofit organization uses prison inmates to train service dogs in several New York regional prisons.

The military began tests in 2008 to see if the dogs could help PTSD victims.

Pele, a 20-month-old golden retriever/ Labrador retriever mix, accompanies Goehner to his classes, when he goes to the store or mall and when he goes out to dinner. Pele sleeps in his bedroom at night, guarding his rest from haunting nightmares of bomb attacks and shot and blown-up soldiers.

"Pele is my little Marine. He watches my back," said Goehner, referring to the Marines who offered him protection when he was working close to the battle in Iraq.

Since getting Pele, Goehner said he's slept better than he has in three years. He's been able to take a nap for the first time since leaving the military. He can go into a crowded place with less fear that he's going to be attacked or shot at. He's not as unnerved by loud noises that remind him of shellfire and isn't constantly filled with anger and ready for a fight.

Goehner can't say enough about how Pele has already changed his life.

"A lot of that anger I had has gone away. It had to. You have to use positive reinforcement with a dog. Anger doesn't work for him," he said.

Pele is a calming focus point when Goehner goes out in public places that previously made him nervous. By directing his attention to the dog, he said he can forget about the things he used to worry about.

And Pele does watch his back. It's one of more than 90 commands the dog has learned. He'll move in between anyone who tries to come up to his master.

Goehner credits Pele for vast and quick improvement with his insomnia, for helping him become more stable and responsible.