27 Sep, 2023
In 2019, the New York Times published an article, “Why the VA Won’t Pay for Service Dogs to Treat PTSD.” The article chronicled 10 years of roadblocks faced by Veterans in their effort to obtain funding from the Veterans Administration (VA) for service dogs as a legitimate treatment for PTSD. In 2009, the first Senate bill was introduced, calling for the VA to to a three-year pilot study on the benefits and feasibility of using service dogs to treat PTSD. Despite receiving bi-partisan support and being incorporated in the 2010 defense budget, the study has yet to be completed. Again, in 2016, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act received rare bipartisan support in Congress, yet the VA has yet to implement the grant system making it easier for Veterans to get access to service dogs to assist them with anxiety, stress, and fear caused by their time serving in the military.