Lewis doesn't really like the vet, but I bet he'd love a veteran
Welcome to the U.S. Senate; Al Franken, D MN.
From his op-ed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune;
Al Franken: A wounded veteran's best friend
A chance encounter inspires my first bill: Legislation making the service dog program more affordable for our troops.
By AL FRANKEN
Last update: July 18, 2009 - 11:52 PM
In my first week as a U.S. senator, I had the privilege of participating in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
The hearing was historic -- but as I prepare to introduce my first piece of legislation, I've been thinking about an encounter I had away from the lights and cameras.
This January, I met Luis Carlos Montalvan and his service dog named Tuesday, a beautiful golden retriever, at an inaugural event in Washington.
Luis had been an intelligence officer in Iraq, rooting out corruption in Anbar Province. In 2005, Capt. Montalvan was the target of an assassination attempt. Now he walks with a cane and suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
Luis explained that he couldn't have made it to the inauguration if it weren't for his dog.
As someone who's spent time with our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan on USO tours and met wounded warriors at Walter Reed and Bethesda, I feel a deep obligation to the men and women who have risked life and limb on our behalf.
After I met Luis, I did some research. Service dogs like Tuesday can be of immense benefit to vets suffering from physical and emotional wounds. Yes, they provide companionship. But they can also detect changes in a person's breathing, perspiration or scent to anticipate and ward off an impending panic attack with some well-timed nuzzling. They are trained to let their masters know when it's time to take their medication and to wake them from terrifying nightmares.
Service dogs raise their masters' sense of well-being. There is evidence to suggest that increasing their numbers would reduce the alarming suicide rate among veterans, decrease the number of hospitalizations, and lower the cost of medications and human care.
Veterans report that service dogs help break their isolation. People will often avert their eyes when they see a wounded veteran. But when the veteran has a dog, the same people will come up and say hi to pet the dog and then strike up a conversation.
Luis got Tuesday from one of the nonprofit agencies around the country that trains service dogs. I visited one of them, Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, and saw dogs opening doors and answering phones. I saw a German shepherd named Pepsi pick a nickel off a tile floor and give it to a young woman in a wheelchair.
Unfortunately, few of these service dogs are available to veterans like Luis. It costs on average about $20,000 to train a service dog and another $5,000 to place the dog with the veteran. It is my strong belief that a service dog will more than pay for itself over its life, and my bill is designed to determine the return on investment with a pilot program that provides service dogs to hundreds of veterans.
My bill will help train a statistically significant number of dogs to measure the benefits to veterans with physical and emotional wounds. The program would be monitored and refined over a three-year period to optimize its effectiveness.
Frankly, I believe it is enough simply to improve the lives of those of whom we asked so much. But this program isn't just the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. This is win, win, win, win.
I've been a senator for only a few days. But I've learned that it's better to listen than to talk, that you don't have to be a lawyer to be impressed by a tremendous jurist like Judge Sotomayor, and that I enjoy working with my Republican colleagues as much as I do with my fellow Democrats.
Most of all, I've learned that a senator has the incredible privilege of doing things that make a real difference to real people like Luis. That's a privilege I will continue to cherish.
After I met Luis, I did some research. Service dogs like Tuesday can be of immense benefit to vets suffering from physical and emotional wounds. Yes, they provide companionship. But they can also detect changes in a person's breathing, perspiration or scent to anticipate and ward off an impending panic attack with some well-timed nuzzling. They are trained to let their masters know when it's time to take their medication and to wake them from terrifying nightmares. Service dogs raise their masters' sense of well-being. There is evidence to suggest that increasing their numbers would reduce the alarming suicide rate among veterans, decrease the number of hospitalizations, and lower the cost of medications and human care. Veterans report that service dogs help break their isolation. People will often avert their eyes when they see a wounded veteran. But when the veteran has a dog, the same people will come up and say hi to pet the dog and then strike up a conversation. Luis got Tuesday from one of the non-profit agencies around the country that trains service dogs. I visited one of them, Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota, and saw dogs opening doors and answering phones. I saw a German shepherd named Pepsi pick a nickel off a tile floor and give it to a young woman in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, few of these service dogs are available to veterans like Luis. It costs on average about $20,000 to train a service dog and another $5,000 to place the dog with the veteran. It is my strong belief that a service dog will more than pay for itself over its life, and my bill is designed to determine the return on investment with a pilot program that provides service dogs to hundreds of veterans. My bill will help train a statistically significant number of dogs to measure the benefits to veterans with physical and emotional wounds. The program would be monitored and refined over a three-year period to optimize its effectiveness. Frankly, I believe it is enough simply to improve the lives of those of whom we asked so much. But this program isn't just the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. This is win, win, win, win. I've been a senator for only a few days. But I've learned that it's better to listen than to talk, that you don't have to be a lawyer to be impressed by a tremendous jurist like Judge Sotomayor, and that I enjoy working with my Republican colleagues as much as I do with my fellow Democrats. Most of all, I've learned that a senator has the incredible privilege of doing things that make a real difference to real people like Luis. That's a privilege I will continue to cherish. Franken is United States Senator from Minnesota. Contact him at info@franken.senate.gov or by phone at 202-224-5641.
Franken is the junior U.S. senator from Minnesota. Contact him at info@franken.senate.gov or by phone at 202-224-5641.
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After witnessing what our service dog Lewis has done for our daughter Adelle; being completely amazed and awed by his awareness and perception of, and the ability to treat her stress and anxiety issues, I am a firm believer in what these animals can do for someone who is really hurting inside. There is no drug made, no therapy out there that matches what he can do. He is unique and I think it's not only the patriotic thing, but the right thing to do. These animals can be the furry crutch for those who defended our country and have come home with it's after affects. So many injuries are not visually apparent and can be devastating, to suffer from it and to not be believed because you look "healthy". The things we witness can leave the greatest damage for the long term, usually unnoticed by the whole until it's way too late. Suicides among returning vets are at alarming numbers yet are rarely mentioned. Al knows though and is doing something about it.
As a side note, what really hurts is that people like Al Franken have become targets of the right wing flag wavers and labeled as unpatriotic or unAmerican. He's an evil liberal, Godless even if you stop and listen to the static. I sympathize greatly with Al. You may not agree with his politics, but he is sure one hell of an American. This isn't the first time he's donated his time for the troops. From visits to the war zone to raising awareness of veterans issues such as this, Al has given his time to his country.
This is nothing new from him. He's always supported the troops and America. You may not have noticed however because he doesn't do it with yellow ribbons and waving flags. This time he's using the help of furry friends, of which this family knows their incredible value.
I wish we'd stop tearing each other down, we may think differently but in the end we are all Americans. I have hope that we can change. With people Like Al in the Senate, that hope has a chance.
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Two fine Americans make up an amazing therapy team!
Most Angels have wings, Lewis has fur
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