Brian Dawkins promotes K9s For Warriors to help military veterans
Brian Dawkins opened up about the organization K9s For Veterans, which pairs service dogs who were once rescues with military veterans struggling with trauma.
The number 20 has always meant more to former NFL safety Brian Dawkins than just the number on his back, but he’s also aware it represents a harsh reality: According to U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 20 military veterans take their own lives each day.
For a man who’s been open about his own battle with depression and suicidal thoughts from his playing days, Dawkins’ promotion of K9s For Warriors is a perfect fit.
Many vets rely on service dogs to cope with trauma and suicidal thoughts, and K9s For Warriors provides service dogs who were once rescues to military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma.
“At least 20 of our military lose their lives to suicide, and that’s per day,” Dawkins told FanSided’s Ashley Young in Miami leading up to Super Bowl 54. “So if I can do something with the platform that I’ve been blessed to have to bring awareness to that, and hopefully have people come out and donate at least $20 to help train the dogs to get to our service men and women, then I wanna be a part of that. I wanna bless as many people as possible with the things I’ve been given, and this is the platform to do it on.”
Dawkins was joined by Jason Darby from K9s For Warriors, along with his service dog, Angel. For both Dawkins and Darby, one of the goals of promoting the organization is to change the stigma about masculinity and being afraid to talk about personal issues when something’s wrong.
“That’s one of the things I struggled with when I first got her,” Darby said of getting a service dog. “You know, ‘What is everybody else gonna think about me?’ But eventually you get over it and realize that it’s for the best. And like you said, you melted when you saw her. Everybody does. You can’t not smile when you’re around her.”
A recent study shows that veterans with PTSD who have a service dog demonstrate lower levels of depression, lower levels of social isolation, lower overall symptoms of post-traumatic stress, higher overall psychological well-being and life satisfaction.
“For me, men — our silence is killing us,” Dawkins said. “Us not talking about our problems, us being too macho that we feel like we can’t love up on a dog.”
Dawkins, who enjoyed a memorable career spent mostly with the Philadelphia Eagles, spent the majority of his 22-minute Hall of Fame induction speech in 2018 opening up about his battles with depression to let others know they weren’t alone either.
For him, 20 isn’t just a number — every one of those 20 military veterans has a name, a family, a story. It’s only fitting, then, that K9s For Warriors’ “20 Is A Name” campaign is designed to allow people to donate $20 on their website to help provide a service dog to veterans coping with trauma.
“I don’t wanna say all people go through it, but I would say, if you’ve asked yourself a question, like have you ever thought about, ‘Maybe things would be better if I was not here’ — even if you thought the thought, not acted on it, not took it past that, but if you’ve just thought the thought — then you’re in the majority of the rest of us. So you’re not by yourself. You’re not alone. And there are things out there that you can do to help yourself.”
Brian Dawkins spoke to FanSided on behalf of K9s For Warriors. Those wishing to make a donation can visit K9sForWarriors.org, and those wanting to share their story can use the hashtag, #20IsAName.