Forres army veteran hails 'life-changing' support provided by charity Bravehound

A FORRES war veteran who struggled with PTSD has hailed life-changing support provided to him by a support dog from Scottish charity Bravehound.

Ex-army Staff Sergeant Scott McCaig (50) joined the military after leaving school at the age of 16.

During his 27 years of service, he was stationed all over the world in places like Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He said: “On February 24, 2003, we were deployed into Kuwait when the second Gulf War started.

“That’s when I started to feel unwell. There were things that we had seen that didn’t leave you.

“From there, I went off and did a further three tours out in Afghanistan and it was during my third tour that a serious incident happened and I was removed from theatre.

“I ended up mixing a litre bottle of vodka and a box of Zopiclone sleeping tablets to cope with the fact that I did not want to be here anymore.”

Mr McCaig was medically discharged in July 2016 after receiving a diagnosis for acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

He got in touch with Bravehound after hearing of the work they had done for military veterans with PTSD and physical ailments.

The charity works across Scotland with veterans from the three branches of the armed forces and matches them with specially-trained assistance dogs.

Their dogs are trained to identify and interrupt flashbacks and nightmares, retrieve medication, alert people to get help and put themselves between someone trying to enter a veteran’s personal space.

For veterans, these dogs can give them purpose and confidence and, for some, even mean the difference between life and death

It was through the charity that, in 2021, Mr McCaig received his assistance dog and best friend, a golden retriever named Paisley.

Paisley has changed his life and since they met, the pair have been inseparable.

“I have been through two flashbacks in my sleep where I have been experiencing sights, sounds, smells, vivid, vivid dreams that I am back somewhere that I shouldn’t be," Scott added.

“On those occasions, I felt like there was a weighted blanket on my chest, which was Paisley!

“She brought me out of flashbacks and was lying on top of me, licking my face with her head on my chest.

“Before Paisley arrived, I could not leave the house myself and couldn’t interact with my own family and others in general.

“Having Paisley has changed everything and I am now able to do all these things.

“Bravehound has helped me to get my life back.”

The charity started their Back A Bravehound crowdfunding appeal on September 6 and aims to raise £10,000

The money will go towards training a support dog for a veteran in need.

Former TV presenter Carol Smilie is supporting the charity on their two month campaign and encourages the public to get involved.

She said: “As a dog lover, I know just how much a dog can bring to your life, but the contribution Bravehound’s assistance dogs make to the lives of veterans is immeasurable.”

Fiona McDonald, Bravehound’s founder and chief executive, said: “We know that these are difficult times for everyone and people can support our work in many ways but we would appreciate donations to enable us to fund a Bravehound to support one more veteran.

“Our dogs are life-changing.”

Donations to the Back a Bravehound appeal can be made through the charity’s Crowdfunder page.