Florida Representative Ron Klein urges VA to earmark funds for service dogs

Congressman Ron Klein (D-FL) has sponsored a bill that will reinvigorate a VA program that was founded in 2001 with the goal of providing service dogs to disabled veterans.

The VA's current canine program has failed in its mission and has, to date, matched just two dogs with veterans.

The VA justifies the lack of support for the current program based on limited studies that indicated a lack of improvement when service dogs are utilized, however many veterans who sought dogs through non-profits organizations have found them incredibly useful.

Now, Representative Klein, as well as Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Al Franken (D-MN) have proposed legislation that would require earmarks from the VA's general fund to be spent on establishing a canine program that would deliver on its mission.

Read more about the proposed legislation to overhaul the VA's canine program.