"Save two lives at a time": How Paws and Stripes is rescuing veterans, their families, and dogs

When Devin Otero returned home to New Mexico in 2013 after being stationed in Germany, he began to notice something was wrong as he transitioned back into civilian life. An Army veteran, he was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder after spending the previous seven years on active duty.

“I had gone through counseling and tried medication and a whole bunch of things,” Otero said. “Nothing was quite right for me.”

His struggle was evident to his wife, who made a suggestion: Reach out to Paws and Stripes and sign up for their service dog program.

“She knows I love animals and had heard about Paws,” he said. “She said, ‘Go sign up.’”

The rest, in his words, is history. Otero started Paws and Stripes’ Service Dog Program in 2015 and graduated in 2017 with his first service dog.

“I went from, I couldn’t leave my house to go to the grocery store to my family and I flying to Disney World,” he said with a smile. Otero’s first service dog died last year. Otero is now in the middle of training a second service dog and will soon be a two-time graduate of the program.

Otero also serves as the Certified Peer Support Worker at Paws and Stripes, where he aids fellow veterans going through the program.

“I help normalize the struggles they go through and use my personal experience,” he said. “It helps break the isolation.”

Lindsey Kay founded Paws and Stripes, 617 Truman NE in Albuquerque, in 2010 as a way to fill in the gaps for New Mexico veterans struggling with the trauma experienced from military service.

The organization’s mission is to provide animal-assisted therapy and other mental health services to veterans with service-connected trauma at no cost to them.

She had seen what that isolation looked like firsthand.

“A family member had been discharged from the Army and was experiencing a lot of common difficulties that come from leaving the military and trying to reintegrate into civilian life,” Kay said.

Those difficulties came in the form of PTSD and a brain injury.

With a working background in rescue and veterinary clinics, Kay realized a dog could be more than a companion for a veteran; it could help one regain independence.

There was just one problem.

“I started to realize how inaccessible it was to receive a service dog through programs. There were a lot of barriers and the cost was incredibly expensive,” Kay said. “There weren’t a lot of organizations providing dogs specifically for PTSD and brain injuries.”

Paws and Stripes’ service dog program is designed for veterans who need daily support. In order to qualify for the program, veterans must apply via the website pawsandstripes.org.

When veterans enter the program, they must propose at least three tasks for the dog to do that directly address disabilities stemming from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and military sexual assault, for example.

Based on those needs and the veteran’s personality, Paws and Stripes staffers visit local shelters in search of dogs that are a fit. Four or five dogs are brought to their office. Appointments are set up for the dogs and the veteran to meet. Veterans then choose the dog and take it home that night to begin the training process.

“We like to say, ‘We save two lives at a time,’” Key said.

The service dog program involves the veteran and their dog attending group classes, a workshop class and at least two mental health appointments per month. In addition, veterans also have to train for one or two hours a day on their own with their dog and to volunteer at least four hours a month at nonprofits or other organizations.

Training begins with veterans teaching their dogs basic commands, such as sit and stay, and then progresses into visiting dog-friendly, more crowded places. Eventually, veterans take their dogs to a grocery store or mall and work on skills like stress management. Along the way, the dog receives a green “in-training” working vest and, after a final assessment, a tan “graduate” vest.

“I think the most rewarding thing is seeing how proud (veterans) are of themselves and their dog,” said Aliah Clever, head trainer at Paws and Stripes. “I just love watching the dog finally understanding what the client is trying to teach them.”

In addition to services for veterans, for the first time this year, Paws and Stripes has been able to expand certain programs to veterans’ family members through funding from the SSG Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant. Launched in 2022, the grant honors veteran Parker Gordon Fox, who died by suicide in 2020 at the age of 25 after serving in the Army. Paws and Stripes is the only veterans assistance organization in New Mexico to receive the $570,000 grant.

Programs like individual therapy with therapists specializing in cognitive behavior therapy, a self-esteem workshop and a 12-week anger management group course were all expanded this year and are available to veterans, active duty personnel and family members.

“That’s why we’re here. I used to say, if we can change one person’s life, this was worth it,” Kay said. “It’s been over 13 years now, and we’re very lucky to say that we’ve been able to help way more than one person.”