Hudson Valley Vet’s Pit Bull Eases Transition Home

For many veterans, returning home is not as easy as it sounds. However, the Animal Farm Foundation located in Dutchess County tries to make the transition from active service to home life easier for those who put their lives on the line for our freedom. The Hudson Valley group specializes in offering pit bulls to help comfort veterans returning with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

One Hudson Valley veteran, former Marine Joe Bonfiglio, received a dog named Zen from the Animal Farm Foundation. Bonfiglio and Zen were the subject of a recent Associated Press story about pit bulls as service animals for veterans. Upon returning from his tour of duty in Afghanistan, Bonfiglio was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Initially, he struggled to fit back in to everyday life, but that all changed when the Animal Farm Foundation helped to bring Zen into his life.

Although pit bulls have a stigma of being a dangerous breed of dog, the Animal Farm Foundation is trying to change this belief and show pit bulls are loving companions that make great therapy dogs.

Bonfiglio is adamant that Zen has helped him readjust to his everyday life, the Associated Press reports. Large crowds previously triggered anxiety and made things impossible to deal with for Bonfiglio. Now, Zen can sense when his owner is uneasy and helps to calm him down. This has allowed Bonfiglio to return to places that were once unbearable.

With the help of Zen, Bonfiglio has been able to re-adjust well enough that he is now taking classes in cybersecurity at nearby Mercy College, according to the report.

“Zen is a fantastic dog; the best thing that’s happened to me since I’ve been home,” Bonfiglio told the Associated Press. “They are all great supporters. They don’t talk back, just put a smile on your face.”