America’s VetDogs® – The Veteran's K-9 Corps® is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by the accredited Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and serves the needs of disabled veterans and active duty personnel. In 2003, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind recognized the need for an assistance dog program for veterans that would incorporate guide dogs, service dogs, and innovative training techniques. America’s VetDogs was created and incorporated to give veterans easy access to the best services possible to improve their lives. We provide guide dogs for veterans who are blind; service dogs for those with other physical or emotional disabilities; physical and occupational therapy dogs to work with amputees in military and VA hospitals; and combat stress control dogs to be deployed in theater. All of our services are provided at no cost to veterans, and our funding comes from the generous contributions of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and service and fraternal clubs. For a veteran with a serious limb injury, amputation, or traumatic brain injury, a service dog can provide stability support climbing up and down stairs or getting in and out of a chair, and can be trained to retrieve specific items, e.g., medication, a wallet, or a phone. Dogs can also be trained to alert for seizure response and assist with vision and hearing needs as well as many other tasks. We have built cooperative relationships with the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and today, we are the premier organization providing assistance dogs and training to disabled veterans and active service members. We set the standard by which the military and the VA measure assistance dog schools. We continually strive to increase the options and services for veterans to ensure that they receive all the tools they need to once again be self-reliant. America’s VetDogs has placed physical and occupational therapy dogs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (now Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethseda). Through retrieval, bracing, and innovative tug-of-war exercises, these dogs work with soldiers as they adapt and work with their new prosthetic limbs and therapy dogs make the rounds with wounded soldiers, offering emotional support and comfort. We have been honored with the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award, the second-highest level award given to civilians “for exceptional service that makes a substantial contribution to the accomplishment of the Army’s missions.”
America’s VetDogs is our way of honoring the sacrifice made by our men and women in uniform, and our dedication to America’s veterans is stronger today than ever before. We will do our part to see that a guide or service dog will help a veteran live independently again.
