Zenphamy, some people respond better to animals than to people. There are a myriad number of horse farms setup to treat PTSD vets (especially Afg and Iraq) that I know from personal experience make a positive impact on their lives. The dog technique has been around for a while, and it was due to some research that indicated the animal-human connection can be very strong in certain people. They are usually screened and tested and if they have that affinity, they will be placed on a list, and the dog is selected based on it's interaction with that person. Their bonds can be closer than family in some cases. They are much more than pets and that is why the VA should know. Generally it is a VA person who prescribes the dog and they provide it. That is the problem with this article, the damn VA does one thing with one hand and ignores the other.