The Dog Chow Service Dog Salute Program
Did you know that every day, roughly 20 Military Veterans will take their own life in part due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Which means that Veterans are 14 times more likely to die from suicide here at home than in combat.
PTSD service dogs have been proven to reduce suicidal ideations and PTSD symptom severity in Military Veterans. And yet, these life-saving dogs are not currently a covered medical benefit for America’s Vets. Additionally, the need for these highly trained dogs greatly outpaces what our country’s non-profit training organizations are currently able to supply. Dog Chow is on a mission to change that.
Even Heroes Need Heroes
Our Mission: PTSD Service Dogs for Every Veteran in Need
For the past seven years, the Dog Chow Service Dog Salute program has been taking action to help ensure that every Veteran in need can obtain one of these life-saving dogs.
Since 2018, Dog Chow has donated over 1.2 million dollars and over 50 thousand pounds of food to support both the training and care of more service dogs for U.S. Veterans who are struggling with severe Post-Traumatic Stress.
In addition to actively promoting the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (HR4305), our team has been working with members of Congress to advise on new legislation that will work to get more PTSD service dogs in the arms of our Veterans who need them.
Evidence-based data is critical in helping to legitimize the efficacy of PTSD service dogs. That’s why we’ve been committed to promoting and helping advise on various research studies surrounding these specialized dogs.
Since the inception of our Service Dog Salute program, Dog Chow has undertaken a variety of education initiatives to help grow awareness for PTSD service dogs and their benefits, particularly among the veteran population.
What YOU Can Do
Understand the Issue
Learn about PTSD service dogs’ specialized training and unique skill set, along with the obstacles currently standing in the way of more Veterans benefiting from them.
Explore Ways to Help
From raising awareness to helping change legislation to supporting local service dog training organizations, we’ve got some simple ways you can help make a big difference.
See the Stories
PTSD service dogs change lives. And these real-life accounts provide detailed proof of their unique skills and monumental impact on the lives of veterans and their families.
Watch an Award-Winning Film
Congratulations to filmmaker Spencer Matches for taking home the top prize in the Service Dog Salute category at the 2024 NY Dog Film Festival with his inspirational documentary short A Dog Can Make a Difference! Click below to view the amazing film.