Veteran and His Dog Take on Congress
A four-legged furry friend may not be the first thing you think of on Memorial Day, but there is one dog that changed a veteran’s life in ways he never expected.
As a seventh-generation Texan and third-generation Aggie at Texas A&M University, Cole Lyle is nothing short of busy. While pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science, Cole has testified in front of Congress and he continues to fight for veterans needs on Capitol Hill when it comes to PTSD, alongside his number one fan, Kaya.
Lyle's passion for helping veterans stems from his own time serving in the Marine Corps for six years and his 400-day deployment to Afghanistan. When Lyle returned home from Afghanistan he soon realized something was off. He was struggling with post traumatic stress disorder.
After doctors prescribed different medications, Lyle decided medication& was not the right path for him to heal. He instead decided to get a service dog.
Kaya, Lyle's German shepherd, has been by his side through his struggles with PTSD in ways he never imagined.
"I don't think I understood just how much she would help me, honestly. I knew she would help with symptoms and wouldn't exacerbate them, and that was good enough for me. But once I got her, I realized just how powerful that sense of purpose really was," Lyle said.
"Kaya not only helps by waking me up from nightmares and stopping anxiety attacks, she provides me with a sense of purpose," he explained.
"There were a lot of days I didn't want to get out of bed and didn't have a reason to. But a service dog forces you to get up and be active, to feed them, and exercise them," he continued. "All of those things provide a reason to live each day and a small amount of responsibility on which veterans can build on to get their life back on track. That's an effect pills just won't ever provide."
So far Lyle and Kaya have been making progress with their bill on Capitol Hill, bringing awareness to members in Congress of Veterans needs when it comes to PTSD.
Lyle’s bill, Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members (PAWS), is an act that expands the VA definition of “service dog.” The process outlined on Lyle’s website describes the PAWS Act and what it would provide for veterans.
"I believe that service dogs should be an option provided by the VA, because they're too expensive to purchase for most veterans and if it reduces the epidemic rate of suicides, it's worth it," Lyle said.
The VA does not provide service dogs for mental health issues related to PTSD, however they provide service animals that are "trained to do specific tasks for a person that he or she cannot do because of a disability," according to the PAWS site.
The VA has also suspended and delayed a study to get data for the assistance service dogs give to veterans suffering with PTSD.
Lyle says that PAWS is a direct result from his own struggles and his path to recovery.
"Testifying in front of Congress for PAWS was a surreal experience. Walking into the chamber with Kaya, the gravity of the process hit me, and I thought to myself, 'Wow, we're making real progress,'" he said. "It was a proud moment, having spent the last year sacrificing my own time, energy, and money on this single-handedly."
Kaya and Lyle are planning to still pursue their mission when it comes to PAWS.
"I'll keep plugging away at PAWS until it's passed. Even if it takes a while, which I don't anticipate, I'll keep at it," Lyle said.
