What Can We Help You Learn More About?

PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or traumatic event. Traumatic events can include violent crimes, natural disasters, accidents, or the loss of a loved one. PTSD usually involves some type of persistent mental and emotional stress that can significantly impair a person’s daily life. Specific symptoms can include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, hypervigilance, and uncontrollable negative thoughts about the event.

Veterans are at a higher risk for PTSD compared to the general population. The National Center for PTSD estimates that approximately 7 out of every 100 Veterans will have PTSD at some point in their life. However, other data suggests PTSD is more common among Veterans of different service eras. One study also cited by the National Center for PTSD found that 23 out of every 100 Veterans (or 23%) had PTSD at some point in their lives. Which means there are anywhere between 1.13 million and 3.72 million Veterans currently living with PTSD.

Each year, more than 7,000 Military Veterans take their own life due in part to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Which means Veterans are 14 times more likely to die from suicide here at home than in combat abroad. Additionally, aside from the potential for suicidal ideations, if left untreated, PTSD symptoms can also cause significant distress and interfere with a person’s ability to engage in daily activities including sleeping and eating. Individuals with PTSD may also experience problems with trust, closeness, communication and problem solving which many in turn negatively impact the lives of their family and friends.

PTSD service dogs are a subset of psychiatric service dogs that are trained specifically for individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. By law, these service dogs must perform one or more tasks that enable their handler to perform tasks they cannot otherwise perform on their own. In the case of PTSD service dogs, those tasks are designed to lessen the frequency or severity of PTSD symptoms. Common examples include applying pressure to help relieve anxiety, nudging the body to interrupt flashbacks or nightmares, and alerting the handler when someone is approaching from behind.

PTSD service dogs are not the same as emotional support animals, therapy dogs, or companion dogs. Just like service dogs for the blind, deaf, and physically disabled, PTSD service dogs for Veterans are trained to perform specific tasks or behaviors to help their owners with visible and non-visible disabilities. These dogs undergo extensive specialized training to perform the tasks required of them in their role. As such, PTSD service dogs are given full public access rights. Meaning they’re allowed to go places — like shopping centers, restaurants, and public transportation — where animals are typically forbidden.

Therapy and emotional support dogs are sometimes confused with service dogs, but they perform different functions. Therapy dogs also receive training, but their job is more focused on providing psychological therapy to individuals other than their handlers. For example, therapy dogs will visit hospitals and schools to provide comfort to patients and students. Emotional supports dogs provide companionship to their owners. But they emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs as they are not trained to perform specific tasks.

The average PTSD service dog is trained to perform 3-12 different tasks for their handler. 

Some of the most common tasks a PTSD service dog is trained to perform for Veterans with PTSD include:

• Applying Pressure Therapy – laying on top of or leaning against the Veteran to promote a sense of calm during instances of panic or anxiety
• Interrupting / Alerting to Anxiety or Negative Behaviors – nudging the Veteran’s body to draw attention to or to stop an anxious, harmful, or compulsive behavior before it escalates in severity
• Covering or “Watching Back” – easing the Veteran’s hypervigilance by positioning their body behind the Veteran and letting them know if someone is approaching from behind
• Creating Space – providing a sense of security by positioning their body in front of the Veteran or walking around the Veteran to help create more physical space while the Veteran is in crowded public settings
• Waking from a Night Terror – recognizing the Veteran is having a nightmare and gently nudging or pawing at them to wake the Veteran up

In addition to performing their specialized tasks as needed, a PTSD service dog must also demonstrate calm, focused behavior while out in public — ignoring distractions and responding to commands.

PTSD service dogs have been proven to reduce suicidal ideations and PTSD symptom severity in Veterans. In fact, with their uniquely trained skill set and relentless devotion, these service dogs are able to help mitigate the symptoms of PTSD and improve Veterans’ quality of life in ways no other therapy can. 

Some of the evidence-based benefits of PTSD service dogs for Veterans include:

• Reduced anxiety and stress
• Reduced hypervigilance
• Decrease in suicidal ideations
• Lowered cortisol levels over longer periods
• Improved sleep
• Ability to recognize and better cope with symptoms
• Greater self-sufficiency
• Decreased reliance on prescription drugs
• Confidence to return to work or school
• Increased confidence to be in public
• Strengthened family relationships
• Restored sense of daily purpose

It generally takes 18 – 24 months to fully train a PTSD service dog. Service dog training includes obedience and public access behaviors as well as specialized training for the disability-related work and tasks. As a psychiatric service dog, there is also additional time needed to establish a familiarity and bond with the handler to most effectively recognize and mitigate disabling symptoms — as they might significantly vary from handler to handler.

It can cost training organizations upwards of $25,000 to train and place one service dog for a Veteran with PTSD. This amount includes the cost of 18+ months of dog food, treats, veterinarian care, prevention medications, grooming and care supplies; the cost of professional dog trainers to consistently work with the dog to ensure all obedience, public access, and task requirements are reliably met; the cost of meals and lodging for the Veteran when they undergo their initial orientation and training; and the cost of ongoing training and maintenance for the service dog and Veteran pair. 

Service dog supply is far outweighed by demand, making three-year wait times not uncommon. However, waitlist times vary organization to organization, and some are able to accommodate certain Veterans in critical need in a matter of months depending on the year and the funds the organizations have received.

Despite there being ample medical and scientific research supporting the benefits of psychiatric service dogs for Veterans with severe PTSD, there are key challenges preventing these dogs from being seen as a legitimate medical therapy. The first is society’s misunderstanding of mental health issues and the roles dogs can play. The second is the reluctance of insurance companies to include coverage for service dogs in medical plans and the failure of public policies to require that they must. Currently, the cost of training and caring for a PTSD service dog is left to individuals and small nonprofit organizations, who do not currently have the financial resources to keep up with the demand. 

The Dog Chow Service Dog Salute program began in 2018 to grow awareness for a cause that unites two of our biggest passions: the life-changing power of dogs and support for our Veterans and military families. 

Since 2018, the Dog Chow Service Dog Salute program has been taking action to connect more Veterans in need with a lifesaving PTSD service dog. To date, the program has worked to raise awareness for what these remarkable dogs can do for our Veterans, supported critical research and legislation to get more PTSD service dogs in the arms of our heroes who need them, and donated more than $1.8 million dollars to train more of these lifesaving dogs. But we won’t stop working until PTSD service dogs are made available to every single Veteran with a demonstrated need. Afterall, our Veterans sacrificed so much to protect our freedom. The least we can do is help to restore theirs.

No other brand has been affiliated with the United States military longer than Dog Chow. In fact, when Purina created its first dog food in 1926, it was named “Dog Chow” as a nod to the “chow line” that sustained American service members during WW1. And over the next 100 years, Dog Chow has made it our mission to support the heroic men and women in our military along with the dogs who love them.

Dog Chow’s 100+ Year Track Record of Supporting Our Military:

• 1918 – Purina founder William H. Danforth took a leave of absence from Ralston Purina to support the U.S. Army during World War I – supervising the delivery of food, first aid, and comfort items to American troops in France.
• 1926 – Purina Dog Chow was created as a nod to the “chow lines” that sustained American service members during WWI.
• 1930s – Purina Dog Chow fueled the 160 sled dogs who participated in the polar expeditions of Admiral Richard Byrd, and American naval officer and explorer.
• 1940s – Purina responded to the Food for Victory Crusade during World War II by sending its salesmen and dealers to over 500,000 American farms to advise farmers on ways to improve efficiency and sanitary conditions to help increase their production of food.
• 1940s – Purina research personnel helped the U.S. military develop rations that fed Allied troops, providing nutritional analysis and expertise to extend the shelf life of rations.
• 1940s – Purina Dog Chow also supported the war effort by funding a series of ads for Dogs for Defense, a volunteer organization that recruited dogs for military service.
• Ongoing – Purina actively looks to employ military Veterans across all of our departments.
• 2018 – Purina Dog Chow establishes the Service Dog Salute program to help grow awareness and support for the lifesaving benefits of PTSD service dogs for our Military Veterans in need.
• 2020 – Purina Dog Chow was a fervent supporter of the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (HR4305) which was designed to create a pilot program in the VA to give Veterans access to opportunities to help train PTSD service dogs as a form of comprehensive treatment. The bill was signed into law in August of 2021.

Dog Chow is proud to partner with six incredible organizations that train lifesaving PTSD service dogs for our Veterans. Located across the country, these non-profit organizations each take a slightly different approach to how they select, train, and pair their service dogs. Yet all of them have an incredible track record of success in transforming the lives of Veterans living with severe PTSD. Additionally, every single one of these organizations provide their service dogs and training programs completely free of charge to qualified Veterans. Which is why they rely on outside support to be able to help more Veterans.

Here is an overview of our six partners, listed in alphabetical order:

• Dog Tag Buddies

  Founded in Billings, Montana, Dog Tag Buddies’ purpose is to provide Veterans with hidden injuries the opportunity to lead more fulfilling lives through the training and use of a service dog. We pair Veterans with service dog candidates and guide them through a two-year journey of healing, growth, and reconnection. Our program helps Veterans build trust, purpose, and confidence—becoming stronger partners, parents, and community members. Your support helps save lives, one Veteran and one dog at a time. Click here to learn more.

• Got Your Six Support Dogs

  Got Your Six Support Dogs empowers Veterans living with PTSD through expertly trained service dogs and a one-of-a-kind trauma resiliency program. Our holistic, Veteran-first approach supports lasting recovery by matching each dog to the individual’s unique physical and emotional needs—creating powerful partnerships that restore independence, purpose, and hope. We are based in the Midwest (St. Louis Metro East) and serve Veterans across the country. Click here to learn more.

• K9s For Warriors

  K9s For Warriors is the nation’s leading provider of trained service dogs for Veterans with PTSD and other invisible wounds of war. Roughly 20 Veterans take their own lives every day and approximately 1,000 dogs are euthanized daily. Founded in 2011, we are determined to end Veteran suicide by pairing Warriors with service dogs at no cost. Additionally, the majority of our K9s are rescues, giving these dogs a second chance and new purpose to serve a Veteran in need. Our residential training program is backed by science, powered by compassion, and fueled by hope. K9s For Warriors is saving lives at both ends of the leash. Click here to learn more.

• Northwest Battle Buddies

  Northwest Battle Buddies provides professionally trained service dogs to Veterans battling PTSD, aiding them in regaining their freedom and independence. Each one of our service dogs undergoes over 360 hours of rigorous training, mastering tasks such as interrupting nightmares, signaling and interrupting anxiety attacks, redirecting flashbacks, performing pressure therapy, providing a constant feeling of safety, acting as a social barrier in public, and alerting on adrenaline spikes. Following this, they are carefully matched with a Veteran for an additional five weeks of joint training, fostering a strong, supportive partnership. This comprehensive approach ensures that Veterans receive life-changing support tailored to their needs. Click here to learn more.

• Operation Freedom Paws

  Operation Freedom Paws’ mission is to empower Veterans, First Responders, and families by pairing them with a carefully selected service dog that matches their individual needs and trains together to become a bonded team. Through this therapeutic human canine relationship our clients learn to regain their independence, engage in their communities, and live enriched lives. We are committed to providing a 48-week training program and the resources needed to help our clients along their healing journey at no cost. To date OFP has trained over 580 service dog teams and rescued over 440 dogs. Click here to learn more.

• Semper K9

  Semper K9 is a combat Veteran-founded and -operated organization committed to enhancing the lives of disabled American Veterans and their families by providing custom-trained mental health and mobility service dogs free of charge. Our Family Integration Program includes the entire family in the training process, ensuring long-term success. All team members are military-connected, and we are proud founding members of the Association of Service Dog Providers. Our sole mission is to support Veterans and their families through specialized service dogs. Click here to learn more.

In the short term, volunteering at nonprofit service dog training organizations in your area can make a substantial difference. Many of these organizations, including five of our partner organizations, are actively looking for individuals to help foster or “puppy raise” future service dogs in training to help grow the number of potential service dogs they can offer Veterans each year. The New York Times wrote a great article on puppy raising here. There are also countless ways you can donate your time to help these organizations with administrative efforts, fundraising, facility maintenance, and more.

For more lasting change, we need to focus on raising awareness and changing federal policy. Consider writing to your Senators and Congresspersons about the need to make these lifesaving dogs more accessible to our Veterans with severe PTSD. Or check back later this year when we launch our VoterVoice program that will make it easy to help influence public policy in meaningful ways.

In addition to providing ongoing support to our six primary organization partners, Dog Chow offers both food donations and monetary grants to qualified 501(c)3 service dog training organizations. Please note that organizations must provide service dogs to Veterans at no cost to be considered for a grant. Click here to learn more and apply.

The SAVES Act (H.R. 9525) was introduced in the House on September 10, 2024. The bill aims to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit organizations to assist those organizations in carrying out training programs to provide service dogs to eligible Veterans.

The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (H.R. 4305) was designed to create a pilot program in the VA to give Veterans access to treatment derived from working with service dogs. Purina Dog Chow was a fervent supporter of this bill, actively promoting it on Capitol Hill. The bill was eventually signed into law in August of 2021 after passing in both the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support.

Service dogs offer physical, neurological, and mental health benefits for people with serious health conditions and make a substantial impact on their owner’s quality of life.

There are an estimated 500,000 service dogs working in the U.S. today. Some of the more common types include: