Thank you.
Evidence of meeting #27 for Veterans Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was dogs.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #27 for Veterans Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was dogs.
A video is available from Parliament.
2:35 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
I'll go through that email and make sure that Mr. Jolicoeur, who is your clerk, gets it. I will make sure of that.
2:35 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
Now, the—
2:35 p.m.
Liberal
2:35 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
Okay.
2:35 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
We are in the process of going through that, and our next step is a meeting that is the week after next. We're doing it through the Canadian Accreditation Council.
2:35 p.m.
Cpl Christopher Lohnes
Yes, we're going through an accreditation process, not only for our organization but for our mental health learning package and for our trainers' development.
2:35 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
Yes, we're basically getting our organization accepted as a.... It's basically a sort of stamp on our organization, to say that it is able to do that. We see that as a verification of our standard.
I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.
2:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
That's okay. Thank you very much.
Up next is MP Doherty for five minutes, please.
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Thank you, Chair, and thank you to our guests.
I wanted to make a comment to my colleagues who are here, just in case they've never seen the impact that these dogs can have. I'll take you back to the last session when my Bill C-211, regarding a national framework on PTSD, was at third reading. We had first responders and veterans who were here in the gallery waiting for the presentation at the Senate, basically to make sure that it passed.
There was a first responder who brought their service dog. Obviously, the emotions and my anxiety were high. This service dog actually came over and laid across my feet. What an amazing.... It's so emotional, you know. The first responder came over to me and said that the dog had sensed my anxiety and had come to try to calm me down.
I've also seen first responders and veterans with service dogs that can sense just a slight change in their owner's demeanour, and then will actually start guiding the veteran or the first responder out of the area where the anxiety is being felt. This is something that is critical.
It's very frustrating because I've seen first-hand the benefits that these animals bring.
Mr. Holt and Mr. Lohnes, you spoke about B.C., Nova Scotia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, which have developed standards. Are these standards something that we can adopt nationally?
2:40 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
What you'll find is that there are differences between them. What would be useful would be to have a comparison done of the standards. I would certainly offer up and will make sure that your clerk has a copy of our standard.
As far as I'm concerned, compare away. The sooner we get to a national standard the better. As long as it is open and doesn't say that you must have a particular colour of standard or shape of standard or whatever, then I think that's perfect—absolutely right. If we could build on what the provinces have done and what we are doing with the provinces and different organizations, then so much the better.
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Yes, I don't think we should let fear and bureaucratic process really slow this. The impact and the need is so desperate. The need is desperate and the impact is immeasurable.
We talked about two different types of training as well. I'm wondering if you feel like you've had enough time to actually accurately talk about the two different types of training. I would like to give you the opportunity to really expand on that, if possible, for my colleagues to understand.
2:40 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
Chris, why don't you can take this, the obedience part, but also the importance of reinforcing with the veteran, because it is supporting the veteran. I'll just say that all of what we do is to support those people who are in need, those veterans.
2:40 p.m.
Cpl Christopher Lohnes
I would guess that you'd have to look at various organizations throughout Canada. Let's put it this way: All, I think, have a good premise to help veterans, but it also goes to what your knowledge is on what's possible.
Many of them are obedience-based. Is that good? Yes, you have an obedient dog that can function in public, but is that obedient dog actually doing things specific to that veteran, tailored to them? Not every veteran would have a recovery to a trigger that's the same as others', but the dog would act similarly.
For example, you may need your dog to jump on you to break your trigger and train of thought, where I may need my dog to lick my hand. The way the dog interacts with you to bring you back to being present would be different in different circumstances. In doing the training on connection, the two learn how to work together and what works for both of them.
2:40 p.m.
Cpl Christopher Lohnes
They build that trust, for sure, and that trust is the base for everything. If you don't have a solid base on how that connective piece works, it's very hard, I think, to have a service dog that's going to be functional for that veteran in any environment that they want to go into.
Can someone take an obedient dog into most environments? For sure, but an injured veteran poses a whole new circumstance, because you don't know when they're going to be triggered and you don't know what's going to cause it all the time. However, you work on the different types of regulating, the recovery things, that will help them with their dog come back to being present so that they can safely, for example, go home.
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
I have a quick question because I understand, Mr. Chair, my time is very short.
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Would that speak to the difficulty in coming up with a national standard, because not any one case is the same?
2:45 p.m.
Cpl Christopher Lohnes
No, I don't think it matters how cases are different. It matters how you look at the certification process. Are you certifying an obedient dog or are you certifying a mental health support dog?
2:45 p.m.
BGen (Ret'd) Peter Holt
I will add that it's the team. The veteran and the dog are a team.