Pets and vets not only slips off the tongue easily, the two fit together as well as a hand inside a glove or a tire on a wheel.
On Friday, we celebrated the lives and legacy of our nation’s veterans. Rescue Legacy heralds the recent steps taken to promote veterans’ access to the healing power of companion animals.
In 2021, President Biden signed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members for Veterans Therapy Act (H.R. 1448) into law. Section 2 of the PAWS Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to spearhead a pilot program in which eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) train service dogs as part of a complementary and integrative health program. PAWS was launched last February.
A recent study conducted by the VA found that pairing veterans with PTSD with service dogs (as opposed to emotional support dogs) resulted in decreased symptoms of PTSD and reduced suicide risk.
The five-year pilot program is underway at VA medical centers in Anchorage AK; Asheville, NC; Palo Alto, CA; San Antonio, TX and West Palm Beach, FL. When training is complete, the veteran involved in the service dog’s training would be first in line to adopt the dog assuming that the veteran and their health provider determine that it is in the veteran’s best interest. Should the veteran choose to adopt, follow-up training, if needed, is guaranteed for the life of the dog.
Participation in the pilot program does not preclude the veteran from receiving additional care and treatment for PTSD for which the veteran is eligible.
Here are some other organizations and events bringing vets and pets together:
The aim of Pets for Vets is to forge a “Super Bond” between shelter animals needing forever homes and physically and/or emotionally scarred vets returning from their tours of duty. Using a time-tested and proven approach, trainers determine an optimal match based on the personality, temperament, needs and wants of both the animal and the veteran. More than 600 dogs and vets have been successfully matched since the program’s inception in 2012.
On the Eve of National Dog Day last August, K9s for Warriors presented its newest Paws for Change graduating class. In partnership with the Jacksonville, FL, Sheriffs Office, Paws for Change pairs inmates at the Montgomery Correctional Center with shelter dogs for a 12-week service dog training program. K9s for Warriors has rescued more than 1,500 dogs, 750 of which have gone on to serve veterans in their forever homes.
This week, the SPCA Serving Erie County held its annual, week-long Vets and Pets adoption event. Adoption fees for most animals were waived for individuals and immediate families of individuals on active duty, reserves, and honorable discharge, along with service-disabled and retired veterans. Two dogs per qualifying family could be adopted. A longtime SPCA tradition, the event was sponsored by GEICO insurance.
Such organizations and programs give many veterans a new chance at civilian life.
They also give our nation another chance to say, "Thank you.”