More than four decades after David Lis was stationed with the Air Force in Southeast Asia, scenes from the Vietnam War still swallow his thoughts.
He can’t shake them. They play like a never-ending horror movie, continually reminding him of a period in his life when he was surrounded by death and destruction. At times, he says, they’ve pushed him to the brink of suicide. “You don’t want to think about it, the things you’ve seen, but it’s constant, 24/7,” says Lis, a Kenhorst resident who was a photographer while in the Air Force. “I lost a friend when his plane went down on Christmas Eve in Laos. You don’t forget something like that.”
Lis was formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, three years ago. He says it’s his female pit bull, Pee Wee, and dogs Shaila and Cricket that he cares for through the Animal Rescue League’s Kennel Companions program that help him cope.
“We have an emotional bond,” says Lis, 62, adding that Pee Wee reminds him to take his medicine and lays her head on his bed at night so he can fall asleep. “When they first greet you, it’s a stress relief. It feels good because there’s no judgment with animals. They’re just happy to see you.”
Pure Love
No bones about it: Animals provide unconditional love, support and companionship. But, according to local veterinarians and doctors, owning or being around a pet consistently can also positively affect your emotional, psychological and physical health.
“Animals are accepting. They don’t reject you. They understand you,” says Dr. Kolin Good, chair of the psychiatry department with Reading Health System, where she’s seen the hospital’s Paws for Wellness animal-assisted program help patients reconnect, relax, communicate and heal. “Animals have the ability to be present and give you their full attention. They’re like, “I’m here. Let’s hang out.’”
The Center for Disease Control reports that pets – no matter the type – can alleviate stress and anxiety; decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels; ease feelings of fear, anger, isolation and loneliness; and promote socialization, exercise and outdoor activities.
“[Pets] don’t care if you’re six or 60. They don’t care if your hair is still in rollers or if you’re ready to go to the prom,” says Dr. Shannon Brockmeier of the VCA of Sinking Spring. “As long as you’re giving them love, they’re happy. For the human side, [people] know they have something that depends on them, and it gives them a purpose.”
Though anecdotal stories abound and the term “human-animal interaction” has been used since the late 1970s, scientific study of the health benefits of pets is still in its infancy, says Justin J. Couchman, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor at Albright College.
“It is a brand new field,” he says. “We have seen studies that say something happens in the brain when you’re sitting with a dog. A chemical called oxytocin, which is associated with the mother-child bond, spurs bonding and love with the animal, and that seems to make you feel better and feel happier.”
Couchman recalls one study that explored how people recovered from heart attacks. Those who had a dog were more likely to be alive a year later, he says. “It wasn’t just the exercise,” he says. “It’s the companionship and connection.”
While Couchman is researching the human-animal bond, he also experiences that connection first-hand with his 3-year-old Australian cattle dog, Blue, who he takes for walks a couple of times a day. “It feels comforting to hang out with your dog, and you give them attention, and they give you attention,” he says. “It’s a beneficial thing for both species.”
Heart Happy
Kaja O’Leary, 21, agrees. The West Lawn resident was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis – a genetic, chronic disease that causes the body to over-produce mucus and primarily affects the lungs and digestive system – at 5 months old. Her dog, Ella, has provided solace and reassurance.
“Ella was a gift,” O’Leary says of the dog, a Chihuahua and Pomeranian mix. “I was really sick when I got her. My grandparents brought her over, and she came and laid down next to me. She’s never left. Ever since then, she has been attached to me.”
As O’Leary prepped for double lung transplant surgery in 2006 at age 14, her heart rate raced and her blood pressure spiked. She asked to see Ella. “My body was just going crazy,” she says. “I told them, ‘I want my dog.’ I knew that was what I needed.”
Ella curled up against O’Leary in her hospital bed, and the pair snuggled, she remembers. “My heart rate came down; my blood pressure came down. I was so calm,” she says. “My family couldn’t believe it – that something so simple could do such wonders.”
Today, Ella remains by her side as she awaits a second lung transplant.
“She is my happy place,” O’Leary says.
Lis, a former teacher, knows the feeling. He says the Animal Rescue League has become one of his happy places. He started visiting the shelter after a counselor encouraged him to set goals that would help him address his PTSD. One goal was to socialize, he says, adding that he was on a downward spiral and had begun isolating himself.
“For me, it was to do some volunteer work. Then it became about the dogs,” he says. “I’ve been around animals all my life. Certain people have a connection with animals. I can’t explain it.”
As a way to help other veterans, Lis teamed with Kristi Rodriguez, ARL’s volunteer/program coordinator, to develop Patriotic Paws, a program that brings veterans, particularly those diagnosed with PTSD, and shelter animals together to provide each other with companionship, love and devotion. Eight cats and dogs have been adopted by veterans so far, Rodriguez says.
It gives “vets something to pour themselves into, and it presents a different view of vets with PTSD,” Lis says. “It’s a rewarding experience.”
Inside the ARL’s lobby, as howls and barks ring out, Lis kneels to calm Shayla, who becomes nervous when she’s outside of the kennel. He meets her at eye level and rubs her shiny black fur. “It’s okay,” he says in a nurturing voice, relaxing the rambunctious dog and guiding her to sit.
In that moment, Lis comforted her, just as much as she has comforted him. He smiles and acknowledges his progress. “This has really helped me,” he says. ” I’m here just about every day. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
by Kristin BOYD | photos by Tania Colamarino, Ama Photography
