Service Dog Strong launches fundraiser during National Service Dog Month

Gunner is the service dog of Simone
Emmons of Windham, who created
Service Dog Strong, a 501(c)3 nonprofit
in 2019. Emmons started the organization
through grants and donations, and it
provides service dog partner training at
no cost for survivors suffering from PTSD
due to sexual assault or military sexual
trauma. SUBMITTED PHOTO   

By Collette Hayes

September is National Service Dog month, a time to celebrate the magic these incredible dogs bring into the lives of the people they serve. These loyal, loving, dedicated companions provide many areas of service from guiding the blind, assisting the hard of hearing and the deaf to providing companionship and support to those suffering from PTSD related anxiety due to sexual assault trauma, otherwise known as rape-related PTSD (RR/PTSD).

Since 2019, Service Dog Strong, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, through generous grants and donations from the community, has provided service dog partner training at no cost for survivors suffering from PTSD due to sexual assault or military sexual trauma.

Service Dog Strong is the only nonprofit in the state and one of the few across the nation that saves the lives of homeless and abandoned dogs from high-kill shelters and transforms dogs that save the lives of people suffering from RR/PTSD related anxiety. It gives the dog who would otherwise have been euthanized not only life but a sense of purpose and calling.

Service dogs are trained to do a variety of specific tasks for people with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The tasks include everything from retrieving objects, giving seizure or diabetic alerts to providing confidence and inspiring independence to those with PTSD related anxiety.

An online academic article written in the Psychiatric Times, was quoted in a previous article about Service Dog Strong in The Windham Eagle.

The article indicated that rape and other forms of sexual assault have broad-reaching effects on many levels, including basic needs, functional impairment, physical health and mental health. Although chronic psychopathology does not develop in most rape or sexual assault victims, these forms of traumatic victimization are associated with a higher prevalence of PTSD than are other types of traumatic event. For example, the National Women's Study, an epidemiological survey of 4,008 women, found the lifetime prevalence of PTSD resulting from rape and sexual assault to be 32 percent and 30.8 percent, respectively, compared with a prevalence of 9.4 percent caused by non-crime-related trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident).” 

Simone Emmons of Windham, the founder of Service Dog Strong, is a survivor of military sexual trauma. Her dog Gunner provides her with emotional support and comfort which empowers her to be able to do things she wouldn’t be able to normally consider doing.

“Something as simple as going to the grocery store at times can seem overwhelming,” Emmons said. “Having Gunner by my side I feel more empowered and in charge of my life.”

There are few nonprofit organizations in the country that do something similar to what we do, said Emmons. 

“People from all over the country who are living with the challenges of RR/PTSD call us and want to be part of this training,” she said. “This isn’t typical service dog training. People have to be local to southern Maine to be accepted into the program because they are the ones doing the training which requires 200 hours of dedicated effort.”

According to Emmons, from a long list of those waiting to be accepted in to a class, five participants have been selected to participate in next month’s training but the organization is still way under budget.

“It takes approximately $20,000 to train five people,” Emmons said. “Since Service Dog Strong runs entirely on donations, and in order to begin our next class, we need to raise an additional $10,000. On Oct. 1, we will be selling raffle tickets on Facebook to help provide the necessary funding,” Emmons said.

In support of National Service Dog month, Jeff Gambardella, owner of Nonesuch River Brewery in Scarborough, has generously offered to donate a portion of the brewery sales to Service Dog Strong. Also, Gambardella is offering a discount this month to anyone who comes into the brewery with their service dog.

“We are hoping with the raffle and the donations from Nonesuch River Brewery, we will be able to hold the next Service Dog Strong class at the end of October.

If you would like to donate to Service Dog Strong, raffle tickets will be available on their Facebook page on Oct 1st. Also, Service Dog Strong is looking for donation items for the raffle. This could be anything from house cleaning service to theater tickets.

Please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. If you feel you may be in need of support. <