CHC Group has welcomed two four-legged visitors to its Aberdeen operation after raising more than £40,000 (US$48,000) to sponsor a puppy for the Veterans With Dogs charity.
Labradors Copter and Ellie are the latest recruits for the charity which trains fully accredited assistance dogs to help former and serving armed forces personnel.
Copter and Ellie are currently in the process of a 12-month initial training period before eventually becoming assistance dogs to military veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or another mental health condition.
The specially trained dogs help the veterans lead more independent lives and help mitigate the debilitating effects of mental health difficulties. More than 40 animals are currently in the program across the U.K. with 10 fully trained and in service. To train a dog for mental health support takes at least 18 months to two years. The current waiting list for a dog is two years with applications from veterans in need of help increasing four-fold in the last year.
A veteran suffering from a condition like PTSD often becomes extremely isolated. Their life can be dominated by conditions such as anxiety and depression. Introducing a specially trained assistance dog has been shown to have hugely beneficial outcomes.
Veterans With Dogs North of Scotland trainer Shanta Cariese explained: “The dogs are trained to respond to anxieties displayed by the veterans in everyday life. They can help their humans deal with potentially challenging environments.
“The dogs can also indicate and interrupt signs of anxiety, panic attacks and nightmares. They also help the veterans regain emotional control by employing cognitive behavioral skills, engaging risk reduction behaviors and help reduce the debilitating effects associated with PTSD.”
“For a veteran, having a non-judgmental, friendly and loyal friend is very important. All the dog asks in return is to be looked after and loved.”
Assistance dogs need to be able to travel and adjust to new surroundings and people. Taking a puppy to various locations and seeing different people and animals are part of the socialization process vital for a future assistance dog. It is an extremely important part of the whole learning process the puppies need to go through.
Veterans learn and practice skills that are useful in everyday life, using modern professional dog training techniques with a proven scientific basis. Both dog and veteran qualify together as a partnership, by training to set minimum standards that they must meet or exceed. Partnerships are assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the lifetime of the partnership.
CHC Aberdeen has raised the money through its sponsorship of the Energy Ball in Aberdeen for the past two years and other fundraising activities including last summer’s Aberdeen International Airport Runway Run, organised by CHC Helicopter Captain Ryan Broadhurst.
The dogs’ training is carried out by volunteers but the organisation relies on donations to provide food, veterinary care and support.
Copter and Ellie met CHC’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Regional Director Mark Abbey, at CHC’s operations headquarters at Aberdeen Airport.
Mark Abbey said: “Copter and Ellie are progressing well through their training programs which will eventually see them provide support to veterans who can benefit hugely from having a canine companion to care for. We’ve met some of the guys who already have their own dogs and it’s clear their lives have been transformed.
“The support they provide to those armed forces personnel who have given so much for their country is tremendous. We employ several ex-services personnel and there are strong links between the military and commercial aviation sectors, particularly within our flying and engineering teams.”
CHC has supported military veterans for several years. From 2014-2017, the company supported Wings for Warriors, a UK charity which gives wounded, injured or sick servicemen and women a future worth fighting for, by training them as professional pilots. During this time, CHC purchased a training helicopter and both engineers and pilots provided ongoing assistance to the charity’s trainees.
