Soldiers Best Friend

In 2022, program services were concentrated on our service/therapeutic companion dog training program. We served 125 veterans during 2022 with 2,789 training hours provided to veteran/dog teams. Historically, over half of the dogs in our program are adopted from az shelter/rescue partners. Provided at no cost to eligible veterans, each veteran/dog team trains a minimum of 6 months. Providing this life-changing service includes: comprehensive application process, dog adoptions, fostering, professional training & testing, veterinary care, providing equipment/supplies & support to help ensure program completion. As part of our program, we offer mentorship and operation graduate training (ogt) classes. The mentorship program pairs graduates with teams-in-training to help guide them through the program. The ogt classes are provided for graduates who want further training for their dogs. Our program serves as a parallel support plan to each veterans medical treatment & aims to lessen their symptoms of ptsd or tbi. A biennial survey of all graduates was conducted in 2022 to gather data about the programs effectiveness & attest to the significant impact on the lives of graduates & their families. Results include: 94% reported their ervice/therapeutic companion dog improved their overall quality of life, 89% positive impact on social activites, 71% a positive impact on their relationships with family & others. Of respondents who experienced suicidal thoughts prior to beginning training, 83% reported a reduction in those thoughts.