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SNL allows service dog for Wounded Warrior

  • Published
  • By Valerie Larkin
  • Sandia National Laboratories
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  For the first time, Sandia National Laboratories has welcomed a service dog to its New Mexico campus as a workplace accommodation for a veteran living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Three years ago, Rob Mitchell rescued Hunni, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, from Animal Humane New Mexico as a pet for his family. After it was certified as a service dog, Hunni took on a new role in Mitchell's life: helping ease the PTSD symptoms he has experienced for more than 10 years.

Mitchell served with the U.S. Army's 1st Calvary Division in Iraq. He survived a series of improvised explosive device detonations during a deployment in 2004 and suffered panic attacks ever since.

An environment, safety and health coordinator at Sandia and father of two, Mitchell has tried several therapies to lessen the frequency and severity of the panic attacks.

That's where Paws and Stripes comes in. The Albuquerque nonprofit matches shelter dogs with veterans living with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries and works with the veterans to train their dogs as service animals. Mitchell began the process in 2014.

"I went to Paws and Stripes because I decided I needed another tool to help deal with the PTSD. You can't build a house with just a hammer. You have to try everything at your disposal to get through it," Mitchell said.

Paws and Stripes provides the service at no cost to the veteran, according to Mark Valvo, enrollment director for Paws and Stripes.

"Mr. Mitchell and Hunni are proving to be an excellent veteran-service dog team. We look forward to watching them advance," he said.

To prepare for certification, Mitchell and Hunni attended weekly training sessions, including group and individual skill-building activities and classes on how service dogs help allay PTSD symptoms.

Service dogs can perform a variety of functions, like retrieving medications at the onset of a panic attack, calling attention to elevated stress levels, waking veterans from nightmares and providing mobility assistance.

Hunni is trained to read subtle physical signals, then fussing with her nose harness or acting excited, to tell Mitchell to reduce his anxiety.

"Hunni's job is to help alert me when my stress and anxiety levels start reaching a point where I need to pay attention to them," Mitchell said.

After two months of training, Hunni passed a public access assessment, demonstrating that she has basic skills like sitting, staying and obeying commands that she needs to operate in public. Hunni still has to complete about six more months of training, but New Mexico state law permits a service dog in training the same access as a fully trained service dog.

Mitchell worked with Machelle Karler, Sandia's equal opportunity and affirmative action manager, to ensure all laws, regulations and security requirements were being followed. Karler also coordinated a seminar to educate Sandia employees about the etiquette of interacting with a service dog.

"I've put my heart and soul into this for him and I am so excited to see this come to fruition," said Karler.

Mitchell said he others who need service dogs should benefit from the work he and others at Sandia put into bringing a service dog to Sandia.

"We wanted to help lay the groundwork for other people who want to have service dogs, and I think we've done that," Mitchell added.