Spotlight: Labs for Liberty
by KATIE BROOKS
For many veterans, coming home is the most difficult miracle they have ever faced. A large number of them suffer with traumatic brain injuries or PTSD, and every one of them has been changed. Both the veterans and their families struggle with those changes, and far too many veterans become hopeless enough to take their own lives.
Joan Nold and her military family knew that something had to be done. Nold says, “We wanted to give back however we could, and what we were capable of doing was working with dogs. We knew that service dogs could be a bridge to help veterans transition back to civilian life. That was the birth of Labs for Liberty.”
The volunteers of Labs for Liberty have created a unique model dedicated to fitting veterans’ individual needs. “Most service-dog organizations train dogs for up to two years and then pair the dogs with owners,” says Nold. “We breed Labrador retriever puppies and choose only those who have the ideal temperament for working with veterans. The puppies are pulled into our program at 8-10 weeks old. We match each puppy to one of our applicants and find the best fit. The veteran then gets to name his or her puppy and be involved in the puppy’s training process.”
Once puppies and veterans have been matched, foster parents, many of whom are University of Utah students, take the puppies for a time. These foster parents have been previously educated by Labs for Liberty and are responsible for the puppies’ basic obedience training. “The ‘fosters take the puppies everywhere they go, whether that’s school, the grocery store, or hiking trails,” Nold says. “That way when the puppies come back to Labs for Liberty, they already have obedience skills and know how to act in public.”
After a brief period with a foster family, a puppy is brought back to Labs for Liberty to be taught any special skills that will help the puppy’s veteran. “Our puppies can be taught to do anything from opening doors to interrupting anxiety attacks,” says Nold. “Labrador retrievers also make great hunting companions for our many veterans who love to hunt. Every puppy has finished its training by the time it turns a year old.”
Each veteran gets to participate in eight days of his or her puppy’s training, which is done at the Labs for Liberty property just outside of Morgan, Utah. A recently remodeled guest house gives the veteran a place to stay free of charge. The veteran can even bring family members and make a vacation out of their stay. “Getting away to a place that is peaceful and beautiful can be very healing for veterans and their families,” Nold says.
Veterans are a great asset to their communities, and Nold reminds us that members of the community can help the veterans as well. “People need to learn and understand service-dog laws, and they need to realize that not all disabilities are visible. A negative social encounter could aggravate a veteran’s conditions and slow the transition process, so kind treatment is crucial.”
Community members can also help by donating to Labs for Liberty. “Our work is funded completely by donors,” says Nold, “and we will remain a 100% volunteer organization. When people volunteer, they help themselves by contributing to something bigger than themselves.”
People interested in volunteering with or donating to Labs for Liberty are encouraged to visit the organization’s website, www.labsforliberty.org, for more information.