There’s no medicine like a dog

Chris Hardy working at his desk with his service dog Brody, in Baltimore, on May 24. A US Army veteran of 11 years, Hardy is founder of US Kennels Inc, a non-profit organisation. Brody is always at his side and helps him cope with PTSD. Photos: TNS

Chris Hardy remembers the moment he realised that dogs could change lives. But he has to take a deep breath and work to hold back tears to tell the story.

Hardy, a dog trainer for the US Defense Department in Afghanistan in 2006, was making a routine trip to a field hospital to pick up supplies, along with his dog, Dirk. A nurse was holding a badly injured baby; the infant was burned on her face, neck and body. She suddenly reached out to pet Dirk, her face lighting up with a smile.