New Research to Examine the Impact of Service Dogs On Post Traumatic Growth in Veterans with PTSD

Human Animal Bond Research Institute Awards Grant to University of Denver

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced a new research grant to examine how pairing military veterans with service dogs will impact veterans' post-traumatic growth. This grant was awarded to Dr. Kevin Morris, Research Professor and Executive Director at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious condition that can occur after a traumatic experience. One relatively new approach is considering post-traumatic growth, or positive shifts that sometimes occur after trauma.

"Most research on PTSD has focused on the negative impacts of trauma exposure, but more recently, there has been growing interest in the potential for positive shifts after traumatic experiences," said Dr. Kevin Morris, the Principal Investigator of this research project. "We hypothesize that pairing veterans with PTSD and psychiatric service dogs will help promote this positive growth, which may include feelings of hope, agency, and a sense of purpose or meaning in life."

In this study, researchers will explore how pairing service dogs with veterans with PTSD and the bonds that result from these pairings might lead to greater post-traumatic growth and greater thriving after trauma, including greater appreciation of life and improved personal relationships. Findings from this study are anticipated to shed light on the possibility for greater well-being after trauma, even if PTSD persists, and to add further nuance to the understanding of the importance of the human-canine bond.

"HABRI is proud to support research that explores the role of service dogs in healing, recovery, and growth for veterans and survivors of trauma," said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. "We are excited to follow this innovative project, which will further show the vital health benefits of the human-animal bond."

About HABRI
HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that funds innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals; educates the public about human-animal bond research; and advocates for the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org.

CONTACT: Hayley Maynard
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SOURCE Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)