Maryland Veterans Service Animal Program

The hearing room was packed with veterans, military doctors, a former secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs, founders of nonprofits and four highly specialized service dogs. It is not something you see every day in our committee hearing room, but it was a wonderful and moving day of testimony.

 

Twenty Suicides a Day

 

They came to testify in favor of legislation I proposed to address the alarming suicide rates among our veterans. Senate Bill 441 establishes a public/private partnership with nonprofits with limited resources that use specialized service dogs to help veterans. Twenty veterans every day commit suicide in America, including two veterans a week in Maryland.

 

Questioning those claims, I researched the details further and found the facts to be correct. Therefore, I was compelled to do more for the brave men and women who served in our military.

 

When veterans come back from violent wars, they must cope with many potential problems within their daily lives. Some are dealing with physical limitations due to loss of limbs; others are dealing with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and brain trauma due to combat challenges, and more are integrating back into society.

 

Science-based treatments are being applied to veterans; however, too often, these treatments have little or no lasting effect on the soldiers. We cannot fall into the trap of thinking that effective treatment is a one-size-fits-all model.

 

A growing body of evidence shows that interaction with specialized service dogs is another effective avenue to assist veterans with mobility issues, but more importantly, that interactions helps veterans cope with their real-life issues.

 

Two Primary Models

 

There are two primary models. The first is to pair a veteran with a specialized service dog. The dog lives with and helps the veteran. Aside from the mobility support, if they are having nightmares, the dog will wake them up. If a veteran is showing troubles related to PTSD or anxiety, the dog is trained to start licking the veteran.

 

If that does not bring the veteran’s attention back to the dog and away from their fears or apprehensions, then the dog will nudge or jump on the veteran. While the dog is trained for many other cases, this gives you an idea.

 

The second model, in addition to pairing veterans with dogs, allows veterans to train service dogs for other veterans. The training program is specially designed to help the veteran while also training the dog. One organization I am working with has helped more than 2,000 veterans in the last 10 years, and not a single veteran in the program has committed suicide.

 

The Gold Standard

 

This legislation sets up the structure to use the Department of Veterans Affairs’ vast network of veterans to tap into their existing outreach efforts to promote and refer eligible veterans to their nonprofit partners. The program also establishes a funding mechanism to allow individuals, businesses and state money to help offset the nonprofit’s expenses in providing assistance. Veterans who successfully complete the program are encouraged to help other veterans. Lastly, the program works to expand these services for other veterans unserved by existing resources or location.

 

During the senate hearings, the former secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs testified that this legislation, if passed, would be the gold standard for all other states to follow.

 

As of this writing, my legislation has unanimously passed the Senate, and in a rare move, the entire Senate membership co-sponsored my legislation. The bill heads to the House of Delegates and hopefully to the governor’s desk for signature.

 

If you would like to add your support for my upcoming hearing, call my office at 410-841-3658, or email me at bryan.simonaire@senate.state.md.us.