Mike Richards, a military veteran from Saskatchewan had a hard time leaving his house and said he didn’t want to be around anyone as he was feeling suicidal.
In 2019, Richards was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. “At the time, I was trying to get anything to bring my life back to kind of normalcy,” he said.
Therapy brings him no good but his life was changed when his service dog Felix came into his life. “The biggest thing he does, he is a companion,” said Richards. “He’s huge for me.… All he wants is food and love.”
Richards became an advisor for a study at the University of Saskatchewan, where they looked at how the bond with a dog can influence someone’s decision to live.
Alexandria Pavelich, a University of Saskatchewan Ph.D. student researcher looked into the concept of how dogs can provide this personal significance to their human companions.
“The concept of mattering is important to someone’s overall mental health and to reduce suicide risk,” said University of Saskatchewan sociology professor Colleen Dell, who supervised the research.
“[The dogs] offer this purpose, the sense of belonging in our lives. And what they really do is they’re really critical to curbing that sense of hopelessness.”
“Stories like Richards’s about the importance of service dogs and the relationships to their owners are common”, said Dell. “However, there has been a lack of research in the field”
According to the Federal Government of Canada, approximately 11 people die by suicide each day. They were paired with service dogs to help them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and suicidal ideation.
The veterans she talked with said the animals made a significant impact on their lives. “They repeatedly shared how their dogs literally saved their lives,” she said. “It was the dogs that seemed to bring together all their efforts at various treatments.”
“He doesn’t judge me if I’m having a bad day,” Richards said of his service dog. Felix helps Richards when he has a flashback or gets anxious. He was brought to Richards’ side in 2018.
“If I have a nightmare, he wakes me up before it really goes into full effect,” said Richards. “He just makes my life kind of back to normal, not fully normal, but back to normal, so I can survive in society and be there for my little girl.”
If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or having a mental health crisis, help is available.
For an emergency or crisis situation, call 911.
You can also contact the Saskatchewan suicide prevention line toll-free, 24/7 by calling 1-833-456-4566, texting 45645, or chatting online.
