Veterans Need Access to Service Dogs

The Veterans Administration estimates that 11 - 20 percent of veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are living with post-traumatic stress disorder. Overall, twenty veterans commit suicide every day. Connecting veterans with service dogs is a proven therapy for PTSD. However, the VA does not currently fund the use of service dogs for veterans living with PTSD.

The Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act (PAWS Act) will connect support dogs trained by qualified organizations with veterans suffering from severe PTSD. This alternative PTSD treatment option will be available to veterans who have tried all other treatments and represents the first time the VA acknowledges the therapeutic value of animals.

The cost of training and raising a service dog is significant. Not only does the PAWS Act provide funding to match qualifying veterans with a trained service dog, it also covers the cost of animal care.

Support veterans living with severe PTSD! Urge your representative to co-sponsors the PAWS Act today.

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{contact_data~title} {contact_data~firstName} {contact_data~lastName},

The Department of Veterans Affairs must be more effective in its approach to reducing the burden of veteran suicide connected to mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (P.A.W.S.) Act creates a program to leverage the benefits of pairing service dogs with veterans suffering from mental health disorders.

The P.A.W.S. Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out this program by providing a grant to an eligible organization for each veteran referred to that organization for a service dog pairing (which includes training of the service dog as well as training of the veteran with the service dog). These organizations must provide trained service dogs that meet specified standards.

Our veterans living with mental health disorders and traumatic injury deserve the benefits that qualified service dogs provide. The VA estimates that 11 - 20% of veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are living with PTSD. Overall, 20 veterans commit suicide every day. All options must be considered to help reduce the suicide rate among America's veterans and support those suffering from severe PTSD.

Please co-sponsor HR 3103, S 2949 today and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

Sincerely,

{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State}
{user_data~Email Address}

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