Ace

Well hi there, friend. My name is Ace, and I’m a very handsome yellow Labrador with a very important job. I’m Dylan’s dual-certified PTSD psychiatric service dog, the official therapy dog (and let’s be honest, full-time mascot) of Badges & Breakthroughs, and a professional in the field of belly rubs.

Here’s a little about me:

• My favorite thing in the whole wide world is a car ride with my ears flapping and my nose in the wind. Bonus points if there’s a drive-thru involved.

• I accept tips in the form of treats, scratches behind the ears, and anything resembling a cuddle.

• If I sense you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or down, I’ll come lean into you, put my paws up, or plant myself right at your feet until your shoulders drop. It’s kind of my superpower.

• I’ve trained hard for this gig, and I take it very seriously (except when there’s a tennis ball — then all bets are off).

• Why my job actually matters (the science-y part)

• I love being good at my job, and turns out there’s real research backing up what my paws already know:

• Just 10 minutes of petting a dog significantly lowers cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone (Pendry & Vandagriff, 2019). Interacting with dogs also boosts oxytocin — the “feel-good” bonding hormone — in both humans and dogs (Odendaal & Meintjes, 2003). So yes, scratching my ears is basically free medicine.

• The largest clinical trial of its kind found that veterans paired with PTSD service dogs had 66% lower odds of a PTSD diagnosis and showed significantly lower anxiety and depression than those on the waitlist (Leighton et al., 2024). Game-changing stuff for first responders and veterans.

• Therapy dog visits aren’t just feel-good fluff either. A pilot study at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that healthcare workers’ self-reported positive mood nearly doubled after sessions with certified therapy dogs, with immediate drops in stress and burnout (Chipps et al., 2024). (I take this as a personal challenge to make everyone feel that good.)

Book a visit with me

I make special appearances at dispatch centers, corrections agencies, police and fire departments, schools, conferences, community events — basically anywhere the people who run toward the hard stuff could use a soft moment. If your team, agency, or event could use a furry morale boost (and trust me, they could), reach out and request a visit. I’ll bring the wags. You bring the treats.

Until then — drive safe, breathe deep, and remember: you’re doing better than you think.

— Ace