A bipartisan, bicameral bill directing the Veterans Affairs secretary to establish a grant program to award funds, on a competitive basis, to eligible nonprofit organizations that provide highly trained service dogs to eligible veterans suffering from blindness, visual, or mobility impairments, loss of hearing, PTSD, TBI and other disabilities has been introduced in Congress.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and others introduced the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act alongside K9s For Warriors earlier this month.
“Service dogs have a proven track record of providing lifesaving assistance to veterans in critical need,” said Bill McCabe, Vice President of Government & External Affairs at K9s For Warriors. “The SAVES Act will ultimately put more service dogs in the hands of veterans with visible and invisible disabilities, allowing them to regain their independence and reintegrate into civilian life. We applaud this bipartisan, bicameral effort and urge Congress to pass this important legislation without delay.”
Pairing Service Dogs with veterans has been linked to lower PTSD severity, odds of a PTSD diagnosis and other negative mental health symptoms, while promoting positive behaviors, according to a 2024 National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial led by Dr. Maggie O’Haire and the University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“The SAVES Act will allow more veterans who are struggling with the invisible wounds of war to receive service dogs that could ultimately save their lives,” said Tillis. “We must repay the debt to the men and women who served our country, I hope Congress quickly passes this legislation to provide them with his important resource.”
K9s For Warriors is the nation’s largest provider of trained service dogs for veterans struggling with PTSD, TBI and/or military sexual trauma. The organization worked with Tillis, Blumenthal (D-CT), Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) and Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) on crafting the legislation. IT has rescued more than 2,000 dogs and paired them with more than 1,100 veterans in need since 2011.
“For many veterans, service dogs are not just companions, they are life-changing partners that provide independence, stability and purpose,” said Luttrell. “The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act will ensure more veterans have access to highly trained service dogs, expanding support beyond PTSD to include those suffering from traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, military sexual trauma and other service-related conditions. This is about giving our heroes the tools to thrive — not just survive — when they come home.”
Read the bill in its entirety here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.