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When Cindy Brosig first started using her G.I. Bill to earn her
master’s degree in nursing, she thought animal therapy was just a
way for people to bring dogs to the hospital for patients to pet.
After devoting two years of research, papers and projects to
animal therapy, she learned there was much more to it.
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February 25, 2017 - Ted, a German Shepherd/Coonhound mix, engages in
Wisconsin National Guard Service Member Support Division programs
such as February Yellow Ribbon events and Youth Camp as a therapy
dog. (Wisconsin National Guard courtesy photo)
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“I didn’t really realize how supported it was in the medical
world,” Brosig said. “So I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful to
take this to the kids?’”
And that’s what she did.
After adopting, training and registering her rescued German
Shepherd-Coonhound mix, Ted, as a therapy dog, Brosig approached her
husband’s unit, the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion,
147th Aviation Regiment, and the Wisconsin National Guard Child and
Youth Program to volunteer her services.
Recently, Brosig
brought Ted to interact with military children from families of 1st
Battalion, 147th Aviation Soldiers at a Badger Yellow Ribbon event
as the unit prepares to deploy to the Middle East in support of
Operation Inherent Resolve.
“We were attending the Yellow
Ribbon ceremony visiting with kids, and in that instance, it was
kind of preparing them for emotions and feelings,” Brosig said. “I
kind of use Ted as a good platform to give the kids to take the
pressure off kids maybe wanting to share their personal experience.”
Brosig said some of the children open up more with Ted there
since dogs are generally unconditional, unbiased partners. While
therapy dogs receive obedience training, the therapeutic part is
more natural. They are different from service dogs because they are
allowed to use their innate emotions, she said.
“I think it’s
different where I would allow Ted to nudge if he felt a child was
feeling blue or down,” Brosig said. “I pretty much let Ted and the
individual work through. Ted’s very attentive to feelings and
emotions.”
Ted was registered as a therapy dog in June 2015,
beginning Operation Heal and Empower Every Life (Operation
H.E.E.L.). Operation H.E.E.L uses animal-assisted therapy to support
military children, families and veterans. However, the idea to train
a therapy dog came from Brosig’s personal experiences with her dog,
Aggie.
“She helped me through my husband’s deployments,”
Brosig said. “She was there for me when I was with two young kids
and two deployments. One was 18 months, and I had just given birth
to my daughter, so I had gone through some big emotional, I’m sure
postpartum, troubles, and Aggie was there.”
Brosig’s passion
to help military families stemmed from serving for nine years in the
Air Force Nurse Corps.
“I obviously took care of Soldiers,
but also, working in clinics, I took care of a lot of family
members, and I saw a lot of challenges,” Brosig said. “I heard a lot
of challenges.”
She found that military kids are very
resilient and supportive of their families and military lifestyle.
Operation: H.E.E.L. has had a role in Wisconsin National Guard Youth
Camp, Badger Yellow Ribbon events, and visiting schools in support
and celebration of military children.
“I get so much feedback
that nobody realizes what these kids are doing and what they offer
to the community, showing their strength that sometimes you fall on
hard times, but you get up and you don’t blame anybody for it,”
Brosig said.
Fittingly, April is the designated Month of the
Military Child, where military youth are honored for their unique
contributions and sacrifices in support of their service member. The
Wisconsin National Guard is celebrating the Month of the Military
Child by encouraging military youth to participate in the “Young
Lives, Big Stories” contest which is designed to share the story of
service members through their children’s eyes. Wisconsin Department
of Military Affairs staff also wore purple April 13 to show their
support for military kids.
Brosig plans to continue showing
her support by offering one-on-one classes for military children at
Lucky Dog Daycare in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, starting in June. She
will also continue participating in Wisconsin National Guard Child
and Youth Program activities and visiting schools.
By U.S. Army Sgt. Katie Eggers, Wisconsin National Guard PAO
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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