By EMS1 Staff
MARYSVILLE, Ohio — In an effort to quell his PTSD and anxiety, a paramedic was recently matched with a service dog.
Paramedic John Minich, 23, suffers from PTSD and anxiety he developed from handling difficult calls, many of which included fatal vehicle crashes and pediatric patient deaths.
Minich fundraised for several months before placing a deposit with the nonprofit Freedom Paws Assistance Dogs; he was matched with Delmar, a Labrador retriever.
Delmar knows 30 different commands, 10 of which are PTSD-related, Tera Jurrens, the nonprofit’s CEO, told the News Messenger.
The command “lap” tells Delmar to place his paws over Minich’s lap — a move that is intended to bring Minich out of an anxiety situation.
Delmar will accompany Minich while he’s on the job, too.
“I think it’ll be interesting to see him [Delmar] in an ambulance,” Minich said.