Crenshaw struggled to manage his symptoms over the next few years. Eventually, he reached out to K9s For Warriors for help. The organization in Florida is one of dozens nationwide that connects veterans with service dogs.
K9s For Warriors trains dogs to help calm veterans with PTSD during stressful times. For example, the pups may wake up their owner during a bad dream.
In 2019, Crenshaw was paired with Doc. The Labrador retriever and German short-haired pointer mix had been rescued from a shelter and trained as a service dog. Crenshaw says his life changed the minute he met Doc.
“Doc gives me purpose,” he says. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Crenshaw wanted more veterans with PTSD to have their lives transformed by a service dog. Last year, he urged members of Congress to pass a law that would do just that. The law is called the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act, or the PAWS Act for short.
It went into effect this past January. The law allows veterans with PTSD to help train service dogs for eight weeks. Each veteran can then adopt the pup they helped train.
“The PAWS Act is a win for veterans,” Crenshaw says.