LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Many veterans know the feeling: after their service is over, the return home can be another type of battlefield.
"More than half the veterans, or about half of veterans, when they get out, they feel more lonely and isolated, creating issues like drug abuse, suicide, depression," Lucas County Veterans Service Commission Executive Director Charles Hisler said.
But these issues haven't fallen on deaf ears.
On Thursday, the Veterans Service Commission announced "Dog Tags for Dog Tags," a new program in partnership with Lucas County Canine Care & Control, putting together veterans who have been through hell, with dogs that have seen their fair share.
"So the way it's designed is you come here (Lucas County Veterans Services) first, we verify you're a veteran and then we give you a voucher," Hisler said. "You go to one of the canine care facilities, and you'll turn in that voucher and they'll let you adopt a dog for free, and they'll license it."
While the dogs at the shelter may not be licensed therapy dogs, they are a furry buddy to have around.
Hiser said that's especially valuable when the number one cause he has seen for veterans getting into drugs and alcohol is losing the camaraderie they had in the service.
"We can't bring back the camaraderie, but we can help you build your own companionship with your canine and it will get you out doing more," Hisler said. "And I've seen the therapy dogs and the service dogs that come in for some of our clients and it does seem to benefit them."
Lucas County Canine Care & Control representatives said those benefits go both ways, with both shelter dogs and veterans having more in common than you might think.
"They're both pushed to the margins for something they experienced that is not their fault," Anna Brogan, community engagement manager for LC4, said.
Starting Friday, 100 veterans will be able to join the program and start building a bond that might help end the war they're still fighting inside their own heads.
"I think we're gonna see a lot of veterans experiencing a better quality of life because of their four-legged friend," Brogan said.
If you are a veteran who already has a dog, you can also get a voucher from the Lucas County Veterans Services office for a free license as well.
Looking to bring back some of that camaraderie is one of the biggest missions of the Veterans Service Commission leadership right now, to build social settings that can be fun and welcoming for veterans to get together and bond, without needing alcohol.
Their newest idea is surprisingly simple: a game night, which they will start next year once their new building is finished.
The Lucas County Veterans Services office is located at 2595 Arlington Ave. in south Toledo.