Vets Adopt Pets - Support for U.S. Veterans Adopting Shelter Pets for companion or service animal needs. Our role is to pull together the many organizations, information and resources that exist to enable Veterans to heal with a Service Dog or enjoy a Companion Animal adopted from a pet shelter.
The Problem
People don't have the love from an animal
Our Military Men and Women are returning from war with a multitude of wounds, some physical and some psychological.
Our animal shelters are euthanizing animals by the millions.
The Solution
Veterans can thrive with the love of their dog or cat
To facilitate Veterans moving on with the special love found in a Companion Animal or Service Dog.
HONOR OUR VETERANS in recognition of their service with Pet Shelter Adoption Fee Waivers
In moving on from war, it is our turn, as a community
to honor and respect your selfless act with support to move on from
war.Facilitating the adoption of a
shelter pet for Veterans is more than a small gesture of support. It is
a gift of love that will center and ground you as you move on from war and
rebuild your lives. War is a
community endeavor, moving on from war is too. Let us do for you as you have done for us.
Healing is Happening - A dog or cat gives a special kind of love for healing and happiness.
Service animal means any dog
that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an
individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric,
intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild
or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of
this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be
directly related to the handler´s disability.
Therapy Animals are not legally defined by
federal law, but some states have laws defining therapy animals. They are
usually the personal pets of their handlers, and work with their handlers to
provide services to others. For example, they visit Hospitals, Assisted Living,
Children Reading to Dogs, Tail Waggin' Tutors, DSR Disaster Stress Relief, Home Visits, Hospice, Libraries, Nursing Homes, Schools.
Benefits of Service
Dogs
Service Dogs are specially trained
to help perform a multitude of tasks for a large range of disabilities that increase mobility, and independence of their
human partners, improving the lives of both person and dog.
Health Benefits of Companion Dogs
Pets can decrease your: Blood pressure, your Cholesterol levels, Triglyceride
levels, Feelings of loneliness. Pets can increase your exercise, outdoor activities, and socialization & THEY LOVE YOU !
Benefits of Therapy Dogs
"How do
you feel when you pet my dog?" asked the dog's
handler.
PTSD: The invisible wounds of war - This video is provided to support and educate
The health benefits of having a pet have long been known. From decreasing blood pressure, depression, loneliness to name a few. Their beautiful unconditional love heals the most painful of wounds. Dogs are proving to succeed in alleviating the symptoms of PTSD.
Unfortunately at this time the VA does not provide a service dog for
PTSD, however, as many organizations rally, the VA is actively conducting a study that will
hopefully result in a VA provision of service dogs for PTSD.
*A personal word. We want to take
this opportunity to say to each and every Veteran that we appreciated
how you choose to protect us. We
especially want to do what ever we can to aid in your healing. It is
widely known that pets provide a safe source of love and acceptance
and aid the healing process. It is for this reason we created this site
with the hope of supporting you in this manner. What ever you are
going through, we want you to heal and live on to create the wonderful
life you deserve!....and fought for.
!["This dog did more for me in three weeks than any medication any doctor has every prescribed," Costich explained. "He senses when I'm having nightmares, and will wake me up [by nuzzling] me."](army-costich.gif "\"This dog did more for me in three weeks than any medication any doctor has every prescribed,\" Costich explained. \"He senses when I'm having nightmares, and will wake me up [by nuzzling] me.\"")
