Initially I was hesitant about the project, which involved taking 12 carefully selected rescue dogs through a training regime that would ultimately allow three of them to take the controls of a Cessna light aircraft.Their final test was to perform a figure of eight in an airborne Cessna, making banking turns while controlling their altitude.
He gets scared of the wind and barks at it and reminds us that a world exists beyond lockdown and our house.‘The chemical effect of my companion is an also an increase in serotonin, dopamine and endorphins that my brain, even with pills, can’t properly manage on its own.’ Photograph: SuppliedI have known life with a depressive disorder and PTSD longer than I’ve known the dog and can vouch for the positive difference he has made to my illness.