AWAMO works with Horses 4 Heroes Australia In 2014 ‘Riding for the Disabled’ approached AWAMO to assist returned servicemen and women suffering from PTSD. They were able to use funds donated by AWAMO to cover the cost for several ADF personnel to ride for 12 months as well as the cost to TAFE qualify two riding instructors to coach them.
AWAMO was able to secure a special riding saddle from the USA Veterans Affairs Dept used for amputee riders. The saddle will be used for Australian Veterans and Emergency Service workers. AWAMO found out that several police officers have lost a leg and were riders prior to their accidents. There are also around half a dozen Military veterans in Qld that have lost a leg during active service. This saddle has been donated Horses for Heroes project to assist them to learn to balance or to ride again. This is the first such saddle in Australia. Horses 4 Heroes also use horses in the PTSD environment.

 

AWAMO has provided funds for PTSD dogs to various registered training companies including Young Diggers and Delta Dogs. In conjunction with 7 Brigade Army Welfare and Rehabilitation Centre, Brisbane, AWAMO have made several donations to assist fiscal sponsorship of Service dogs for PTSD veterans.
A welfare assistance dog more a companion for an individual or group of people in the work force. These types of dog can be seen doing the rounds of a hospital or left with a person at work who is having an emotional event that day such as a death in the family, etc. AWAMO has supplied a number of Assistance Dogs to help moral in high stressful environments to
veterans via the Redlands RSL, Queensland.
They can be trained to work with people who use wheelchairs, have balance issues, have various types of autism, need seizure alert or response, and need to be alerted to other medical issues like low blood sugar. They can help by retrieving objects that are out of their person’s reach, opening and closing doors, turning light switches off and on, barking to indicate that help is needed, finding another person and leading the person to the handler,
assisting ambulatory persons to walk by providing balance and counterbalance and many other individual tasks as needed by a person with a disability. AWAMO has supplied both dog and finance to train assistance dogs to veterans and Emergency Service workers.

 

MATES 4 MATES EQUINE THERAPY PROGRAM

AWAMO proudly supports Mates4Mates Equine program, funding via donations and sale of AWAMO products. Participants in the Equine Therapy Program interact and engage with horses through an educational and emotional experience, in a safe and calm environment, learning basic natural horsemanship while developing a trusting relationship.

 

CAD Titan (SO 015), born Oct 2009. Operational service: Multiple SOTG, Afghanistan; and CT. Canine Operational Service medal Afghan and CT clasp. Medically Retired 2017 due to amputation of front left leg.

In brief, there remains around 20 Military Working Dogs (MWD) that have deployed multiple times to Afghanistan that are either still in service or recently retired. Theseare Aussie veterans too. The Australian Defence Force has decided that its duty-of-care toour four-legged diggers ends when their service ends, and there is no Department of Veterans
Affairs waiting to support our war dogs when they retire. Because of the typical age of MWD retirement, the people who take on responsibility for our veteran MWDs are even unable to take out pet insurance to help with the costs of their veterinary care.

AWAMO has a program in place to financially help and support these veteran Aussie MWDs. We have donated funds for several Military and Police dogs so far. The funds have been used ranging from purchasing medication, payment of veterinary bills, and the supply of dog items that aid comfort- such as bed coat and toys. Finally we have funded the costs of cremation and honouring them with a burial head stone. We have an agreement with Master
Pets who are currently providing a range of their special Black Hawk dietary foods forelderly dogs to six retired Military working dogs from the Special Forces and RAAF.