Ashley Smith (right), a former Australian military police officer who served in East Timor with the Australian Border Force, training with Leroy, his service dog in a programme in Sydney to help him overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
They are nicknamed “pills with four legs” – highly-trained dogs helping ex-Australian military veterans overcome the mental scars of war.
Australia’s servicemen and women have in recent times been posted to danger zones in Iraq, East Timor, and Afghanistan – the nation’s longest-running military conflict. With some undertaking multiple tours of duty, psychologists are concerned traditional treatment such as counselling do not sufficiently address the trauma of combat.
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