Service Dog Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act helps Veterans with PTSD

According to Dr. Kelly Skelton, Atlanta VA Health Care System Section Chief of Acute Mental Health Services, recent research into posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and service animals paved the way for the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act.

The legislation enacted in August 2021, requires the VA to conduct a five-year pilot program to provide canine training, conducted alongside a partnership with a local Service-Dog Organization, to eligible Veterans diagnosed with PTSD as an element of a complementary and integrative health program.

"The VA has many effective treatments for PTSD and is 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," said Skelton.

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.

The pilot program will be offered at the following five VA medical centers:

• Anchorage, Alaska.
• Asheville, N.C.
• Palo Alto, Calif.
• San Antonio, Texas.
• 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.

Visit Implementation of the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act for information on the PAWS Pilot program and timeline.