Dog Therapy for PTSD Vets (Jan 26, 2011)
Man's Best Friend Could Soon be Veteran's Best Medicine (Jan 20, 2011)
If you are considering getting a service dog or therapy dog, you should read this article:
Throwing Veterans a Bone - Be wary of service dog scam (Jan 10, 2011)
DoD one step closer to creating uniform standards for Service Dogs, Therapy Animals
http://warriorcare.dodlive.mil/2011/04/21/dod-one-step-closer-to-creating-uniform-standards-for-service-dogs-therapy-animals/ (Apr 21, 2011)
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America's Vet Dogs
America’s VetDogs® – The Veteran's K-9 Corps® is a not-for-profit organization founded by the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and serves the needs of disabled veterans and active duty personnel. Since 1946, the Guide Dog Foundation has provided guide dogs and training at no cost to people who are blind or visually impaired, including veterans.
Canine Angels
Our mission is to save dogs from our local shelters, obedience train and place them in foster homes for socialization and advanced training, and to certify them as working service dogs. We then donate them to our disabled American veterans for free!
Canine Battle Buddies
Canine Battle Buddies is a program under the umbrella of K9 Soldiers, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The purpose of this program is to assist in providing the right canine to a well informed, well trained human partner who is suffering from ptsd and in need of a canine battle buddy.
Canine Companions for Independence
Canine Companions for Independence® provides highly-trained assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, free of charge. The most advanced technology capable of transforming the lives of people with disabilities has a cold nose and a warm heart!
Canine Partners for Life
Canine Partners For Life (CPL) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to training service dogs, home companion dogs, and residential companion dogs to assist individuals who have a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities. Based in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, CPL places service dogs nationwide. Home companion dogs are generally placed within a 250-mile radius of the campus (sometimes further) and residential companions are place within a 100-mile radius of the campus.
Each CPL dog receives a comprehensive and customized training program to meet the specific needs of their human partner. Depending on the assigned program, the dog will receive up to two years of training before being trained to work with its person. CPL has one of the strongest follow-up programs in the industry to ensure the success of each team throughout the lifetime of the partnership.
Canines and Heroes for Independence
Brigadoon is honored to introduce a program for veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The veterans who are diagnosed with these conditions have a difficult time handling the stress and the memories of the event which impacted their ability to perform day to day functions, interact normally with family and friends, and maintain gainful employment.
The name of this program is CHI – Canines and Heroes for Independence.
When teamed with a well-mannered service dog the veteran is able to receive a vitally important reality affirmation when the dog is summoned. Tactile stimulation can be very calming under stressful situations.
The dog can be trained to nudge his partner to “snap” the veteran out of a frozen moment caused by anxiety or wake him up while having nightmares, or night terrors by turning on a light. The veteran can give a cue for the dog to stand between himself and other people to feel more comfortable in public places.
Canines for Veterans (Canines for Service)
Canines for Veterans is a national program that provides Veterans with disabilities quality trained service dogs. The program works with military prisoners at the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston and teaches them how to train rescue dogs as service dogs for the wounded and injured Veteran. Know as the “triple win” the Canines for Veterans program has twice been awarded a Newman’s Own Award for program innovations supporting our military and their families and has recently been approved by the US Department of Labor as an apprenticeship program.
Circle of Change
Circle of Change seeks to help veterans who suffer from the effects of traumatic events by providing both dog training and handling experiences in order to develop confidence, respect, and trust, thereby improving the veterans’ quality of life, self esteem and social skills.
Courageous Companions (ASIST/ASSISTER) - Canada
Courageous Companions started as a six month pilot project, in June 2010. The purpose of the pilot project was to develop protocols for matching animals from animal rescue organizations with returning military personnel who have visible and invisible disabilities, to speed the soldiers' recovery. Terrance Green, Chairperson of ASIST, calls it “a partnership for healing.”
Growing scientific evidence demonstrates that animals can make a difference in helping people cope with disabilities such as traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. The Courageous Companions project matches dogs with injured soldiers to overcome limitations imposed on the soldier, by temporary or permanent disabilities.
Dog Tags (Puppies Behind Bars)
Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us was established by Puppies Behind Bars to provide service dogs to veterans returning home from Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF) who have suffered a physical injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI) or exhibit Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Puppies Behind Bars provides service dogs to veterans completely free of charge.
4 Paws for Abilitay
To honor the many service men and women who are still suffering from the conflicts of war, 4 Paws for Ability will be making service/assistance dogs available to help them lead a more independent life.
A special fundraising effort is being launched to be able to place dogs free to selected disabled Veterans of the most recent wars on terror stemming from the tragic events of 9-11.
While other organizations are assisting veterans with brain injuries and loss of sight, 4 Paws has selected to assist Veterans with mobility problems or hearing loss resulting from combat injuries. The disability may be a loss of a limb, balance issues, spinal injury, deafness, or other.
Freedom Service Dogs
Our mission is to acquire and train dogs that have the potential to successfully undergo and complete the rigorous seven to ten month training that allows them to assist people with disabilities, thus increasing their independence and peace of mind. We focus our efforts on donating these wonderful animals to disabled military veterans to help restore some normalcy to their difficult lives. Virtually all Freedom Service Dogs are rescued themselves from shelters. Those that do not fulfill all the comprehensive training requirements are found adoptive homes.
Guardian Angel Service Dogs
Guardian Angel Service Dogs, Inc. is a fully incorporated 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to provide education and training about the role of service dogs and the different types of assistance they may provide to persons with health issues such as Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes, Hypoglycemic Unawareness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. It is important for the general public to know that people whose lives might be improved or even saved by having a service dog, may not have a visible disability.
In addition, Guardian Angel Service Dogs, Inc. will help with the costs associated with the purchase and training of a service dog for individuals who would benefit from having a canine companion in their lives to enhance their quality of life and to remove barriers that prevent these individuals from living their lives to the fullest extent possible.
Hawaii Fi-do Service Dogs
Hawaii Fi-Do is dedicated to be part of the healing process of our retuning US servicemen and woman suffering from PTSD and other war related injuries.
These injured veterans not only bear the physical wounds but also the mental scars of battle while in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The psychological wounds are just as devastating to service members and their families as physical wounds. Our dogs can alert, distract or respond to situation and act as the focal point as a coping strategy to ride out the symptoms in addition to offering therapeutic benefits both mentally and physically.
Hero Dogs
Hero Dogs, Inc. is a Maryland non-profit corporation whose purpose is to train and place service dogs with military veterans who have been injured and/or disabled while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
K9s for Warriors
K9s For Warriors is dedicated to raise awareness and funds to pair trained, donated service dogs to our deserving American Warriors.
NEADS Assistance Dogs (Canines for Combat Veterans)
NEADS…
- Has placed over 1300 assistance dog teams since 1976
- Is accredited by Assistance Dogs International
- Is endorsed by therapeutic professionals
- Serves numerous repeat and long-term clients
- Matches each client with a custom-trained dog
- Begins each dog’s training at 8 weeks old and continues through adulthood
Operation Wolfhound
Our mission at Operation Wolfhound is to provide Armed Forces Veterans with dogs that will serve as companions and help them adjust to civilian life.
Patriot Paws Service Dogs
Patriot PAWS trains and provides service dogs for the benefit of disabled American Veterans in order to help restore their physical and emotional independence, and to provide a service for other American’s with mobile disabilities.
PawPADS (Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs)
Pawsitive Perspectives Assistance Dogs (PawPADs) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Savage, Minnesota that provides highly trained assistance dogs to persons with disabilities.
Paws and Stripes
Paws and Stripes™ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for wounded veterans of our United States military that works to provide service dogs for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. The service dogs are obtained only from shelters, and are trained by professionals specializing in service dogs. It is the aim of this organization to provide these dogs and training for no cost to the veteran.
Paws for Patriots TM (Southeastern Guide Dogs)
Southeastern Guide Dogs' Paws for Patriots™ Program provides professionally trained guide dogs, 26 days of residential training and lifetime follow-up services to American veterans - free of charge. The program also provides therapy dogs to individuals and military facilities such as the National Naval Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Paws for Purple Hearts
Paws for Purple Hearts is the first program of its kind to offer therapeutic intervention for our military servicemen and women through training service dogs. Under the guidance of Rick Yount, founder of Paws for Purple Hearts, service dog training provides service members the ability to reintegrate into civilian life. Once training is complete, the service dogs are paired with veterans who have sustained mobility-limiting injuries–thus building on the time-honored tradition of veterans helping veterans.
Paws for Vets
Paws for Vets Inc. is a community -based organization whose purpose is to provide dogs to be trained as Psychiatric service dogs to aide in the rehabilitation of Veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress. This is a type of animal assisted therapy that works with the bond between animals and humans.The relationship that forms allows for emotional healing. Stress is decreased and confidence is increased. Our dogs are trained specifically for their companions needs.
Paws 4 Liberty
Paws 4 Liberty, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing the independence of physically and emotionally disabled Soldiers and others in need by raising, training and placing quality service dogs. Our mission is to raise, train and place quality service dogs with disabled Soldiers and others in need.
Paws 4 Vets
The paws4peopleTM Foundation (www.paws4people.org) privately places trained, certified and insured Assistance Dogs (AD) with individuals with physical, neurological, psychological and/or emotional disabilities.
Through the paws4vetsTM Assistance Dog Placement Program (p4vADPP) Veterans, Active-Duty Service Members (ADSM) or their dependents with physical, neurological, psychiatric or emotional disabilities can receive Psychiatric Service Dogs, Mobility Service Dogs and Rehabilitative Assistance Dogs, free of charge.
All paws4peopleTM Assistance Dogs are trained by federal inmates within one of five federal prisons (www.paws4prisons.org) and/or the paws4vetsTM Wounded Warrior PTSD Intervention and Assistance Dog Training Program.
Our newest program is The paws4vetsTM’s Wounded Warrior PTSD Intervention and Assistance Dog Training Program (ADTP). This program has two primary goals:
- to provide the Wounded Warriors with a unique opportunity to experience the “Special Therapeutic Powers” of the K-9/Human Bond enabling the Soldier to recover from, or at least learn to better cope with, handle and manage their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) symptoms, and,
- to train, certify and place Assistance Dogs with Veterans, Active-Duty Service Members (ADSM) or their dependents with physical, neurological, psychiatric or emotional disabilities.
Pawz 4 Wounded Vets (Canine Support Team)
When wounded soldiers go through rehabilitation therapy, they are surrounded by men and women who have shared their experiences in battle. But when they return home, these veterans leave this support system behind, and some may have concerns when making the transition back to civilian life. Not only does a service dog provide assistance with daily activities, the dog serves as a bridge: people focus on the dog, not the disability, and this leads to conversation and acceptance. For some veterans the dog gives them the motivation to continue to conquer the challenges of everyday life.
Canine Support Teams provides service dogs free of charge to those who have been wounded in the service of our country and who are now seeking the enhanced mobility and independence as assistance dog offers.
Penny's from Heaven Foundation
Our mission is providing physical and emotional rehabilitation through pet assisted therapy. Our program objectives are as follows:
- Honoring America’s fallen heroes by providing support and encouragement to our service men and women in rehabilitation, through pet assisted therapy, offering hope and inspiration to them, as well as their families.
- Nurturing, training, and caring for the special dogs that provide therapy or service.
- Affording advancement and encouragement to any person, or persons, in a rehabilitation environment through pet assisted therapy.
- Promoting and educating others through stories of healing, service, and courage exhibited by these animals, patients, or persons who have served our nation.
Pets for Vets
The Pets for Vets program is dedicated to providing a second chance for shelter pets by rescuing, training and pairing them with America’s veterans who could benefit from having a companion animal.
This is a win-win way to give back to our troops who have given so much to us. They fought hard for our country and made us proud. Pets for Vets is a concrete way to say thank you and to benefit our returning veterans.
Many of our Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans suffer from physical and emotional injuries making it difficult to transition back to civilian life. Pets for Vets can help! Our goal is to heal their wounds by bringing together man’s best friend and our returning soldiers while showing them both that we have not forgotten.
ppaWWs - Paws and People assisting Wounded Warriors
TBI and PTSD are the “invisible wounds” that many of our Warriors will carry with them for life. Our dogs help to alleviate or at minimum help them cope with these wounds so they can live out their lives with more independence and confidence.
We do not provide fully trained dogs, but rather young dogs that have passed our temperament test, been house-trained, socialized and taught basic manners. Clients agree to participate in our 6 month program which focuses on a series of training stages and exercises for the Client/Dog team that both customizes the dog to the Client's needs as well as providing cognitive therapy for the Client.
P2V
P2V is a nonprofit organization that matches sheltered animals with American heroes. P2V provides healing and support for the 10-12 million men and women that suffer with some form of psychological condition and homes for the 4-5 million shelter animals that are euthanized every year so that both may live in dignity together. P2V will provide our nation’s heroes with accessible, cost-effective Animal Assisted Activities (animal companionship) as they pursue rehabilitative and therapeutic care from their healthcare providers across the country.
Service Pets for Service Vets (Rocke Solid McShane Foundation)
The mission of the Service Pets for Service Vets ™ program is to provide support and services which enhance the lives of war veterans. Program goals are to increase the amount of Psychiatric Rehabilitative Assistance dogs (PRAD) placements to veterans afflicted with PTSD and help gather and establish statistical evidence of the therapeutic need and benefit of service dogs in the treatment of PTSD.
Soldier's Best Friend
Our mission is to provide United States military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with a trained Service or Therapeutic Companion Dog, most of these dogs of which will be rescued from local shelters.
Stiggy's Dogs
Stiggy's Dogs is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of our military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. We offer another way to heal through Psychiatric Service Dogs. Our dogs are rescued shelter dogs that are trained specifically for each veteran. By uniting these military heroes and our dogs, we are “Rescuing One to Rescue Another.”
Susquehanna Service Dogs
SSD trains service dogs or hearing dogs especially for the unique needs of military veterans. We have experience with a wide range of disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Veterans who live in Pennsylvania will receive a dog at no cost due to the generous support of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Eastern Star.
The Tower of Hope
The Tower of Hope's mission is to empower people who are living with a disability or a chronic illness to live more independently by providing them with specially trained service dogs. Our primary focus is on providing these amazing animals to combat-wounded veterans - those that have suffered great physical or mental trauma defending freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Having a service dog to help get through the day, and to be a constant companion, is truly a life-altering gift that we can give to these brave men and women.
Train a Dog Save a Warrior (Penny's from Heaven Foundation)
Our mission is providing physical and emotional rehabilitation through pet assisted therapy. Our program objectives are as follows:
- Honoring America’s fallen heroes by providing support and encouragement to our service men and women in rehabilitation, through pet assisted therapy, offering hope and inspiration to them, as well as their families.
- Nurturing, training, and caring for the special dogs that provide therapy or service.
- Affording advancement and encouragement to any person, or persons, in a rehabilitation environment through pet assisted therapy.
- Promoting and educating others through stories of healing, service, and courage exhibited by these animals, patients, or persons who have served our nation.
Vet Dogs
Helping those who have served our country honorably to live with dignity and independence whether they are visually impaired or have other special needs, by using guide dogs, service dogs, and innovative technologies.
Veterans Moving Forward
Our mission is to provide service dogs to veterans with physical and mental health challenges.
Our vision is to be the premier, national, not-for-profit organization for veterans seeking and receiving assistance/service or skilled companion dogs at no cost to the veterans. Be the most effective and trusted resource to provide canine therapy for veterans. Optimize veterans' employment in distributing service dogs to veterans to meet growing demands. Make a meaningful difference in the lives of our veterans and increase their safety and independence within their environment.
Copyright Benita Koeman 2008 - 2012
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