Plans for how and where the PAWS Act pilot program will be implemented by the Department of Veterans have been announced.
VA will publish a Federal Register Notice on March 30 detailing its plan for implementing the pilot program required by the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act.
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“Our pilot will help us explore the benefits of service dog training and give us the data we need to make recommendations to Congress on the way forward,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in a statement. “There are many effective treatments for PTSD and we’re looking at service dog training as an adjunct to those options to ensure veterans have access to resources that may improve their well-being and help them thrive.”
The PAWS Act, signed into law on Aug. 25, 2021, requires VA to conduct a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program.
Veterans participating in the program will have the opportunity to train potential future service dogs with the goal of helping veterans manage their PTSD symptoms.
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The pilot program will be offered at VA medical centers in Anchorage, Alaska. Asheville, N.C.; Palo Alto, Calif.; San Antonio, Texas and West Palm Beach, Fla.
Clinicians at the pilot sites will determine the eligibility of veterans interested in the pilot program. Agreements with the participating organizations that will furnish the training have not yet been finalized.
The official version of the PAWS Pilot program and timeline is scheduled to publish on Wednesday. However, the document is available for previewing.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.