Joe Nieves, 40, collapsed onto the couch in his living room in Frederick, Maryland. Jem, a Labrador-Golden Retriever mix who is his support dog and is three years old, jumped up next to him and laid her head on his thigh. As he began to pet her, he ran his hands over her ears.
“You know, look at her. She does not need to be present at this time, he said. She could be in the bedroom, but she chooses to be here instead, and that means a lot to me.
Jem is a service dog who has been trained specifically to assist veterans with PTSD like Nieves. When Nieves feels overburdened or cut off from the outside world, Jem acts as a buffer for him, he claimed.
In March, the two were matched. He remarked that she has assisted him more than he could have anticipated.
Army veteran Nieves was identified in 2006 as having bipolar disorder and PTSD.
According to him, his deployments to Iraq in 2004 and 2005 are another source of anxiety. He bears the intangible wounds of what he saw overseas, like many veterans.
He remarked, “It’s strange how many of the things that haunt people are the things that happened to them. And while things have happened to me, the events I witnessed happening to those around me have haunted me the most.
Because of Jem, Nieves attended his first gathering in approximately five years in June at Washington, D.C.’s Awesome Con, a Comic-Con conference that draws tens of thousands of “geek culture” enthusiasts.
Jem is skilled in carrying out a variety of duties to help Nieves. Nieves cited her support in easing his social anxiety as being very beneficial. She may act as a barrier, for instance, blocking anyone from approaching him from the front or the back.
He claimed that because she can enter locations before Nieves can, it relieves strain on him. Because he is an introvert, when visitors enter the room, they tend to focus on Jem rather than him.
“I believe it to be a result of the command. For me, that’s great because the focus is on her instead of on myself, which is incredibly refreshing,” he remarked.
Throughout his mission, Nieves experienced a lot. One particular incident still stands out.
When Nieves was watching over a checkpoint at his camp in Iraq one night, a mortar shell struck a structure just 100 yards away. He claimed that there were six or seven sleeping soldiers. The building’s roof burst into flames, creating a shroud of metal.
It appeared to be moving slowly, just as in a movie. Simply put, it’s slow motion. “I feel it sitting in my eyes and face like the 100 yards just flew forward,” he added.
Prior to the mortars striking, he heard them. He claimed that he at that point understood what mortal dread was. He wasn’t sure if he should move or stand still to prevent being struck.
Fortunately, he claimed, all of the soldiers made it out with very minor wounds. But the thought of maybe losing his entire squad that evening troubled him.
He was medically discharged from the service in 2012.
Nieves tried numerous methods to deal with her anxiousness, but none were successful. He was given a camera by his wife, Katharina Nieves, for when he went out with his two girls, as an illustration.
“The camera was to aid in my downward viewfinder focus. I, therefore, do not perceive everything else.
When I glanced through the camera, I just saw her and my girls,” Nieves remarked.
Although he was aware that service dogs were a possibility, he was dissuaded from getting one. He didn’t feel re-inspired that a service dog may help him until sometime in 2018, when he met the service dog of a veteran buddy at Wounded Warrior Project support group sessions.
He added his name to the Canine Companions list in 2019.
According to John Bentzinger, the organization’s public relations and marketing coordinator, Canine Companions has six training facilities spread out over the United States and spends about $50,000 to nurture and train each dog.
To obtain a service dog, a veteran must go through a lengthy process. Nieves reported that the company’s matching procedure runs smoothly.
The group chooses several pups that might be matched with a veteran. Nieves quickly identified the person who would be his. First pet, first love.
Nieves remarked, “She really was amazing, the ideal amount of enthusiasm.”
According to Nieves, Jem has changed the game outside the home and has integrated into the family. Another dog owned by Nieves is a boisterous French bulldog by the name of Nemesis. He remarked that while she is attractive, Jem offers something different.
In the way that only she can, he said, “the love and affection, as I’ve experienced before, but it’s different with her and not in a better way than the other dog.” “I’m eternally appreciative, even merely to have someone lay on the couch with me,” the speaker said.
Source:Military Times
