Supporting healing after trauma – Comox Valley Record
Rescue dogs bring new life to people living with complex trauma
At Operation Freedom Paws (OFP) Canada, life-changing healing begins one paw at a time.
The Comox Valley–based non-profit pairs dogs with people living with complex trauma, including veterans, first responders, RCMP officers, and civilians.
Most of the dogs come from rescue shelters, and each is matched to specific client’s physical and psychological needs.
Unlike traditional service dog programs, where dogs are pre-trained, clients and their dogs learn side by side. They build trust and healing together twice a week over 48 weeks in Fanny Bay. When they are done, the dog is ready for a Service Dog Assessment and BC Guide Dog certification.
To ensure there are no barriers to healing, the training — and the dogs — are provided completely free, with Operation Freedom Paws relying solely on charitable donations from community organizations to aid their support.
“We’re the only charity in Canada that trains both dogs and humans without charging for either,” said Barb Ashmead, the volunteer-run organization’s founder and executive director. “All we ask is a commitment to attend training twice a week and give it a try.”
Most clients are referred to Operation Freedom Paws through word of mouth, psychologists, and community organizations.
To meet growing needs, Ashmead is searching for an on-site mental health counsellor with experience in trauma counselling to help with intake interviews and provide ongoing support to clients. The Community Foundation grant will help fund the position.
“Thanks to the generosity of groups like the Comox Valley Community Foundation, OFP Canada continues to help people rebuild their lives after trauma,” she said.
The organization’s approach is backed by research, including a 2018 Purdue University study showing that PTSD service dogs significantly improve mental health, work attendance, and social functioning for veterans.
In just five years, Operation Freedom Paws has seen 61 service teams become certified, with 46 coming from the Comox Valley. Clients also travel from across Vancouver Island, Vancouver, and beyond to attend training. Along with families and friends, the organization’s reach now touches an estimated 1,650 people on Vancouver Island, including 1,400 in the Comox Valley alone.
Ashmead knows the results are both personal and far reaching.
She recalls one client struggling with severe PTSD and anxiety so overwhelming he was afraid to leave his home. After working with Operation Freedom Paws, he and his dog now go everywhere together, living a fuller, more connected life.
“They got their lives back,” said Ashmead. “They can laugh again.”
The experience is, by all accounts, life-changing. And for Ashmead – the greatest experience of her life. “Watching a team bond and save each others’ lives is phenomenal and an incredible life changing experience.”
From a community perspective, she knows families, friends, and entire communities benefit when people are able to return to work, finish school, and engage in healthy social activities.
For more information about Operation Freedom Paws Canada, visit ofpcanada.org.
Browse more stories and reports. This story, and many others, are featured in Stronger Together our 2025 impact report, supporting over $1 million in community grants to 53 organizations this year.
