Rob and Jimmy’s story

Jimmy is the newest staff member to join the ranks in the Victorian police force.

A two year old golden Labrador with endless energy and a wagging tail, Jimmy has been matched with Rob, and joins him at work every day.

As a father of three living with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Rob was taking anti-anxiety medication daily, with a whole host of side effects. With the introduction of Jimmy the PTSD Assistance Dog, Rob’s medication has reduced from once or twice a day, to once or twice a month.

“Since teaming up with Jimmy at the start of July I have had 12-14 tablets in six months, instead of anywhere between 190 – 380 tablets over that time.  This makes an incredible difference to how my day starts and how I interact with my family in the morning.” said Rob

Having Jimmy by his side has empowered Rob to take part in more activities with his three young sons. Busy crowded basketball games, and school pickups are now part of the daily routine, something Rob thought he might never be able to do again, before the arrival of Jimmy.

When anxiety strikes, Jimmy is there to lick, nudge or play with Rob.

“Jimmy intervenes and forces me to ground myself before I even know what is going on. He keeps me calmer.” He is the perfect wingman.

And Jimmy’s work doesn’t just stop with Rob. He is having an incredible effect on the local community, opening up the conversation with others living with PTSD, particularly within the police force.

“At the end of every training session I give, I always have at least one person stay behind to ask about Jimmy and talk about their PTSD and how to get help. The awareness that Jimmy is creating is fantastic.”