VA hospitals are integrating service dogs adopted from local shelters into treatment for disabled vets. The program was formed after Freedom Service Dogs, a Denver-based nonprofit, recently partnered with the VA.

Training takes up to nine months and costs exceed $20,000. Freedom Service Dogs doesn’t charge its clients but relies on private donations and foundation grants.

“The population is growing exponentially down in Fort Carson with the Wounded Warriors program,” said Freedom Service Dogs’ Diane Vertovec, referring to the Army unit that prepares wounded soldiers for civilian life. “We feel like a dog can help a vet meet physical challenges but, more importantly, can really, really help them overcome a lot of the mental instability that they’re feeling.”

Currently Service Dogs can train 43 dogs per year — a number that doesn’t come close to meeting demand. There are about 450 soldiers in the Wounded Warrior Battalion at Fort Carson.

Source: Alysia Patterson – The Associated Press