By My Side

By My Side tells a story of journey and return, of veterans and their families rescued from the pitfalls of PTSD by their service dogs to a budding sense of hope and restoration.

By My Side is an intimate portrait of three veterans suffering from the “invisible wound,” called post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is the most prevalent and unhealed wound suffered by veterans. Approximately 20% of those who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars are still haunted by visions, chased by enemies they can never outrun, and tortured by the fear that the enemy is them. The three veterans and their families bravely share their pain, fear, and the difficult realization that they’ve lost time and love that they may never get back again. All three found hope where no one had looked—in the heart of a faithful service dog.

This project is made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Yellow Chair Foundation.