1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’ve just learned through NPR that a group of lawmakers in Congress wants to put millions of dollars toward organizations that pair military veterans with pets. They hope to reduce alarming rates of suicide among veterans. Texas Congressman Morgan Luttrell is the author of the bill—it’s called the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act. It would designate $10 million a year for five years to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which would then award grants to nonprofits who work to provide service dogs to eligible veterans. It is estimated that upwards of 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and more than 450,000 service members have been diagnosed with at least one traumatic brain injury over the past two decades. As a result, these veterans suffer from alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety, joblessness, homelessness, and substance use disorders. Far too often, they resort to taking their own lives, with nearly 20 veterans dying by suicide each day. This is horrific and unacceptable. Today, there are tens of thousands of service dogs across the United States assisting veterans with a wide-range of disabilities and ailments. The bipartisan, bicameral Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act directs the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program at the Veterans Health Administration to award funds, on a competitive basis, to accredited nonprofit organizations that provide highly trained service dogs to eligible Veterans free of charge. Evidence is growing that service dogs can help veterans with PTSD readjust to civilian life. Let’s help the magic happen! Please co-sponsor this bill and help to pass it quickly! Thanks!