A touching and inspirational documentary, “ The Greatest Bond ” is an in-depth chronicle about the high cost of war on the brave heroes and heroines who fight for our freedom and a few whose lives have changed by the unconditional love of service dogs that have been trained by female prison inmates. Centered around a service dog organization called Patriot Paws based in Dallas, Texas, many of these traumatized men and women come to Patriot Paws in their darkest hours, as a last resort.
Viewers follow a group of disabled US veterans who are about to be given a service dog and watch them transform as the dogs expand the veterans’ world and start to heal them as well. Not only do these dogs help the veterans on a very practical level, they provide constant emotional support, protection, and relief from the terrors of their combat-related PTSD. Peppered among the vulnerability of the veterans’ stories, viewers experience the lighthearted joy of the puppies, the redirected lives of the female inmates, and the good-natured humor of the Patriot Paws trainers. While the service dogs help on a fundamentally practical level, the audience will be left with the knowledge that ultimately these dogs save lives.
My Thoughts
The Greatest Bond follows the lives of several real life veterans after they return home from battle. Many veterans deal with mental illness and depression as well as physical injuries. This documentary gives us a new appreciation for what veterans sacrifice for us, but it also shares a ray of hope. The veterans in the documentary are given support animals to help them through their difficult times. You also get to see how animals and can help inmates and meet the trainers who work with the dogs.
Whether you're an animal lover or someone who supports our veterans, you'll love this documentary and all the deep, meaningful moments it shares. It's touching on many different levels. If you want to grab a copy of this amazing DVD for your library, you can find them in stores nationwide, at PBS.org, or on Amazon.
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