**Bogotá, Colombia (AP)** — At the Central Military Hospital in Bogotá, an unusual unit patrols the hallways with a mission unlike any other battalion: lifting the spirits of soldiers wounded in combat.
Kratos, Rafa, and Lupa make up the so-called “furry force,” a group of emotional support dogs that visit service members recovering after being injured in clashes with Colombia’s illegal armed groups.
One by one, the three dogs enter the room of 2nd Sgt. Jeisson Sanchez Duque, who was shot during fighting in the northwest province of Antioquia. Kratos, the most senior of the dogs, greeted him with a paw after receiving treats. Then, Lupa settled on the floor, and Sanchez brushed her as he remained seated due to his back injury.
“It’s something different. You forget the pain and focus on the dogs,” Sanchez told The Associated Press.
Soldiers in Colombia continue to battle the scars from a decades-long conflict that claimed 450,000 lives and forced 7 million people to flee their homes. Despite a 2016 peace agreement between the government and the country’s largest guerrilla group, the FARC, various armed groups still operate across Colombia.
These groups, including factions that broke from the FARC, dispute territories vacated by the guerrillas and the valuable illicit economies that run through them, such as drug trafficking.
Launched in April 2024 following a visit from an animal care organization, the emotional support dog program aims to provide psychological support and ease recovery for soldiers coping with both physical and emotional wounds, including amputations from landmines and injuries from drones dropping explosives.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), incidents involving explosive devices in Colombia rose 94% between January and July compared to the same period last year. The hospital has also noted an increase in patients injured by explosives launched by drones.
Kratos was donated by the Air Force, Rafa by the Army, and two additional dogs were donated by the hospital’s doctors. The program has since expanded, allowing patients to bring their own dogs and providing wellness breaks for hospital staff.
“The dogs show a benefit in patient recovery, supported by physiological changes that occur during interactions,” explained Eliana Patricia Ramirez, the hospital’s deputy medical director. “These might seem recreational, but in this case, they are therapeutic for patients.”
Sanchez says the experience with the dogs also reminded him of Goma, an anti-explosives dog who saved his unit several times before being killed by a blast.
“I was so depressed in my room because I was holed up there. My wife gave me support, but it wasn’t the same,” he said. “When those dogs come in, they change you because they bring happiness.”
—
*Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean for more stories like this.*
https://mymotherlode.com/news/latin/10024704/colombian-soldiers-find-solace-in-furry-force-emotional-support-dogs.html