This week, President Joe Biden (D) signed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act. The law would “require the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to service dog training organizations to increase accessibility for veterans.” After the bill passed the House in March, the Senate unanimously voted to pass the bill earlier this month. In response, Florida Rep. Michael Waltz (R), a veteran Green Beret, praised the bill, arguing that service dogs will help heal “invisible wounds.”
After the passing of the bill, Rory Diamond, the CEO of K9s for Warriors, released a news statement, championing the bipartisan effort and saying that “we commend the White House for supporting this bill as a critical step in combatting veteran suicide, and we’re confident in the path ahead for Service Dogs ultimately becoming a covered VA benefit for veterans with PTSD.” Diamond added that “in communicating with veterans and their healthcare providers, it’s more imperative than ever to embrace the lifesaving impact of a Service Dog and to raise awareness for this treatment option as a proven method for mitigating debilitating symptoms of PTSD and suicidal ideations.”
Also praising the signing of the legislation is Rep. Waltz, who expressed that “it’s incredibly heartening that the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act passed in Congress with such overwhelming bipartisan support and has now been signed into law.”
Admitting that “this bill brings us one step closer to providing the many veterans who have put their lives on the line for our country and have come home with invisible wounds with the full menu of treatment options that their trauma demands,” he concluded by commenting that he’s “seen firsthand the incredible healing power of our service dogs.”
In turn, “that’s why I’m so pleased to see this bill make it across the finish line to help our veterans heal and save lives.”
