Marine and Army veteran Bill Rice poses with his service dog Raven obrtained from the Dogs4Warriros organizaiton. The Slippery Rock University chapter of Student Veterans of America is presenting its third service dog to a student/veteran at a Veterans Day ceremony on campus Monday.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Battles don't always end with a soldier's homecoming.

Recognizing some veterans on campus need extra help in returning to their civilian lives, Slippery Rock University's Student Veterans of America chapter has made its mission to pair service dogs with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition whose symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety.

“We've matched up three veterans with dogs so far,” said Matthew Lobaugh, SRU's assistant director of recreational sports who is the adviser to the three-year-old campus organization.

“The service dogs can be used in a wide range of situations,” said Lobaugh.

The dogs are acquired through the Dogs4Warriors group based in Bowerston, Ohio, about an hour and 15 minutes west of Pittsburgh.

Lobaugh said once a veteran has been picked to be matched with a dog and a $4,000 fee has been paid, the human goes to Bowerston for two weeks of training with his new canine companion.

The demand for dogs has been steady with Dogs4Warriors matching up 20 to 25 dogs with veterans every year.

This is an excerpt — read Sunday's Butler Eagle to learn about the program and the benefits of service dogs for veterans.