Shown here, Sgt. Bill Campbell practices his photography skills as his service dog, Pax, watches his back. Since his return from Iraq in 2005, Campbell has feared an attack from behind.
Iraq Vet Gets Dog, New Chance at Life
Yellow Labrador Helps His Owner to Recover Following Injuries in Iraq
By EMILY FRIEDMAN, ABC News
Until recently, Sgt. Bill Campbell’s horrifying memories from his tour of duty in Iraq left him unable to leave his house.
Constantly fearing he would be attacked from behind — a paranoia stemming from his violent tour of duty — Campbell says his post traumatic stress disorder symptoms made everyday life virtually unbearable.
That is, until he met Pax, a now 17-month-old yellow Labrador, specially trained to help him cope with PTSD, doing everything from reminding him to take his medication to coaxing him out of his house. “Pax forces me to go out,” Campbell told ABCNEWS.com. “He has to go for walks.”
Pax was donated to Campbell by the N.Y.-based non-profit organization Puppies Behind Bars, an organization that has provided service dogs to individuals with disabilities since 1997, but just recently expanded their program to include war veterans, too.
Land of PureGold Foundation 