Last week, U.S. lawmakers unveiled a new proposal to use community grants to pair service dogs with struggling veterans.
The bipartisan Service Dogs Assisting Veterans, or SAVES, Act would set aside $10 million a year for nonprofit groups who have trained the dogs and handlers to work with veterans that need their services.
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis is a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and one of bill’s the sponsors, and he said it will allow more veterans who are struggling with the invisible wounds of war to receive service dogs that could ultimately save their lives.
The Department of Veterans Affairs would administer the new program, which echoes past service dog efforts managed through the Department of Defense.
While the past programs were only open to veterans with PTSD, the new proposal would make eligible veterans with any disabilities recognized by the VA.
