Heads turn and smiles break out as the four veterans make their way through the Bayshore mall in OttawaB次元官网网址檚 west end one recent Tuesday morning. But it isnB次元官网网址檛 just the men that the shoppers are watching: itB次元官网网址檚 also their dogs.

A little-noticed promise in the most recent federal budget has sparked applause and sighs of relief from veterans across Canada dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological trauma.

The commitment was to add B次元官网网址減sychiatric service dogsB次元官网网址� to the list of medical items that Canadians can claim as a tax credit on income-tax forms, as is already the case with guide dogs for the blind.

The move follows the recent results of a government-commissioned study that indicated B次元官网网址� as many veterans and advocacy groups had long claimed B次元官网网址� that dogs can go a long way in helping those suffering from invisible injuries.

B次元官网网址淗e lowers my anxiety. He gets me out of the house,B次元官网网址� says Dwayne Sawyer of his service dog, a golden Labrador named Rex who has been helping the 22-year veteran with his PTSD.

Rex sits at SawyerB次元官网网址檚 feet as shoppers walk by.

B次元官网网址淚 have to look after him, which makes me have to get up and do stuff. Prior to that, I wasnB次元官网网址檛 getting out of bed. And if weB次元官网网址檙e in a mall situation and he can feel my anxiety, he gets really cuddly and he gets right up into me.B次元官网网址�

Yet the answer to one big question is still being worked on: What, precisely, qualifies as a psychiatric service dog?

Related:

The idea of using service dogs to treat and support veterans and others suffering from PTSD has been around for a few years, but was largely disregarded by the federal government until May 2014.

That is when then-veterans affairs minister Julian Fantino pledged up to $500,000 for a two-and-a-half year study to assess the benefits B次元官网网址� and risks B次元官网网址� of such dogs, with an eye to whether their use should be encouraged and expanded.

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press show the study was delayed because of B次元官网网址渞ecruitment and retention issues of both trained psychiatric service dogs and veterans,B次元官网网址� but a preliminary report was recently published.

The findings: Three months after they were obtained, service dogs were found to have B次元官网网址渟ome positive effectsB次元官网网址� on veteransB次元官网网址� ability to sleep as well as to manage their PTSD and depression.

The study could not confirm whether service dogs were linked to improved quality of life or more movement in the community, but the overall results were nonetheless deemed B次元官网网址渞eally promising.B次元官网网址�

A final report is expected this summer, but the Trudeau government opted not to wait and instead promised in last monthB次元官网网址檚 budget to expand the medical expense tax credit to include psychiatric service dogs.

B次元官网网址淭he efficacy study has still not been concluded, but it looks really good and enough veterans have told us what a difference this makes to them,B次元官网网址� Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus OB次元官网网址橰egan said in an interview.

B次元官网网址淧TSD is something that we are all still literally getting our heads around, but you build up a critical enough mass of veterans who are saying this is making such a difference to them, weB次元官网网址檒l go with it.B次元官网网址�

But there was another thing the government decided it didnB次元官网网址檛 need to wait for, even though veterans and trainers are the first to say it will pose a challenge: developing a national standard for the service dogs.

That effort, which covers all types of service canines including guide dogs and those for children with autism, has been in the works almost three years B次元官网网址� and proven controversial and divisive.

The concern is that dogs that arenB次元官网网址檛 properly trained will misbehave in public, including jumping at people or otherwise disrupting businesses and making it more difficult for legitimate owners to be accepted.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got dogs coming in that arenB次元官网网址檛 necessarily safe,B次元官网网址� said Danielle Forbes, executive director of National Service Dogs in Cambridge, Ont., which is accredited by Assistance Dogs International.

B次元官网网址淲e get calls from businesses all the time wanting to know what their rights are because theyB次元官网网址檝e got a dog threatening their staff or their other customers.B次元官网网址�

There is also the fear that fake breeders will take advantage of veterans and others, who can expect to shell out thousands of dollars for a trained service dog unless they are lucky enough to be supported by a local organization.

Alberta and British Columbia have adopted their own standards, which a dog must meet before those provinces issue a card that lets owners take the service animal into businesses and other places.

The federal government has been working on a national service-dog standard for nearly three years, but it has so far failed to come up with an acceptable framework.

Related:

A first draft released by the Canadian General Standards Board was greeted with anger and frustration from various segments of the community, but especially guide-dog users and the schools that train them.

They argued the proposed rules would force schools to either change their time-tested training programs or possibly stop serving Canadian students altogether. Others felt the draft was too broad and tried to do too many things.

B次元官网网址淓ach organization, letB次元官网网址檚 say the service dog for epilepsy, they want their own thing. The service dogs for the blind, they want their own thing,B次元官网网址� said Serge Lemieux, vice-president of the Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit in Ottawa.

B次元官网网址淪o itB次元官网网址檚 becoming so wide and broad that it was difficult to keep it in scope. Once they can define the requirement of what service dogs are, what they provide, and agree on the document, then I think we can move forward.B次元官网网址�

A second draft has been developed and consultations are planned for this summer, and most are hoping for a better result this time around, especially given the need; Lemieux said his organization has 40 veterans waiting for a dog.

Sawyer is only too happy to have found Rex through the Canadian Veteran Service Dog Unit. And he hopes the governmentB次元官网网址檚 plan to give tax credits for such dogs makes them more accessible to other veterans in need.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 my buddy. HeB次元官网网址檚 the reason why I wake up in the morning and get out of the house,B次元官网网址� said Sawyer. B次元官网网址淪o what the governmentB次元官网网址檚 done, thatB次元官网网址檚 amazing. I think itB次元官网网址檚 a great initiative, a great step forward.B次元官网网址�

Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .