Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – Last week the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, a bipartisan bill Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee member Kevin Cramer (R-ND), introduced along with Thom Tillis (R-NC), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). This bill authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create a pilot program which will connect service dogs with veterans experiencing mental illnesses.
“Many veterans with mobility impairments have had their lives changed — in some cases, saved — by service dogs,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bill would expand this treatment by launching a pilot program to make veterans with mental health issues such as depression eligible to receive service dogs. I am grateful for my colleagues’ support and look forward to the President signing it.”
The number of veterans with mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use increased from 27 percent in 2001 to more than 40 percent in 2014, and an average of 20 veterans per-day died by suicide in 2014. To help combat this, the senators introduced the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act in March. It aims to reduce veteran suicide connected to mental health conditions by partnering veterans experiencing symptoms of PTSD and other post-deployment issues with service dogs. Given the track record dog therapy programs have of reducing symptoms associated with PTSD, the PAWS Act expands access for veterans diagnosed with PTSD to receive service dogs regardless of whether they have mobility issues.