Noteboom The Law Firm

New Bill May Test Effectiveness of Dog Training On PTSD Symptoms

January 13, 2011 - Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), is a Marine veteran of the first Gulf War. Rep. Grimm is attempting to create and launch a pilot program that would examine the possibility of using training dogs normally utilized by disabled veterans as therapy dogs for veterans with combat-related conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The bill is currently in front of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Grimm has one focus with his pilot program: helping veterans. The Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act is closely modeled after H.R. 3885, which the House passed last year but the Senate never took it to a vote. Unlike that bill, Grimm's version promotes using dogs from shelters. Service dogs can cost upwards of $50,000, so using dogs from shelters not only saves money, it can save the dogs' lives.

This bill will take dogs hopefully rescued from a shelter, and give them to veterans suffering from PTSD to train for eventual use by disabled veterans. There is no definitive answer as to whether or not PTSD symptoms can be reduced through canine therapy. Grimm believes this legislation would give many veterans suffering from PTSD "purpose and focus," which serves as a positive for the veteran.

Over the next 5 years, this bill would create these dog training pilot programs at 3-5 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. Those first 5 years would serve two very important purposes. First, it would allow the VA to directly study the effect of training dogs on veterans with PTSD. Second, the VA would be able to evaluate the level of training the dogs receive.