Noteboom The Law Firm

Vets Helping Heroes Unites Service Dogs with Veterans

September 10, 2010 - Trained service dogs play critical roles in the lives of the veterans they serve. Most companies that supply service dogs have lengthy waiting lists and the dogs themselves can cost between $35,000 and $70,000. The majority of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) cannot afford dogs of this expense. This is what drove Irwin Stovroff to develop Vets Helping Heroes.

Irwin Stovroff runs Vets Helping Heroes out of Boca Raton, Florida and has done so since 2006. Vets Helping Heroes is a nonprofit organization and can provide service dogs at no cost to the veteran. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does provide money for veterinarian bills for service dogs. They do not, however, provide money for the dog itself.

Vets Helping Heroes works with America's Vet Dogs, a dog training facility. Stovroff raises $50,000 for every veteran through private donations. This money is put towards training a service dog as well as its food and any required veterinary care. Dogs are in service anywhere from 7-10 years before they're retired. Once that happens, Vets Helping Heroes finances the training of another dog for the veteran.

In 4 years, Vets Helping Heroes has supplied over 35 service dogs to veterans in need. America's Vet Dogs has supplied over 150 dogs, including those funded by Stovroff. The waiting list for America's Vet Dogs now numbers 220.