# The SAVES Act: Service Dogs for Veterans

This bill creates a new program to help veterans get service dogs by giving money to nonprofit organizations that train and provide these dogs. The Department of Veterans Affairs will award grants to qualified nonprofits over a five-year pilot period, starting within two years of the law passing. The goal is to get more trained service dogs into the hands of veterans who need them.

The program focuses on veterans with specific disabilities and conditions—including blindness, mobility issues, hearing loss, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other disabilities where a service dog could help them live more independently. Veterans don't have to pay anything for the dog itself; the nonprofits receiving grants are prohibited from charging fees. The VA will also cover veterinary insurance for each dog, and that insurance continues even if the pilot program ends. To get a service dog for mental health conditions like PTSD, a veteran needs to meet with a VA mental health provider first, who will evaluate whether a service dog is actually the best treatment option.

To receive grants, nonprofits must be accredited by recognized organizations like Assistance Dogs International, and they have to explain their training methods, how they'll reach veterans, and their animal welfare standards. The nonprofits must tell each veteran that the VA is paying for their dog and inform them about other VA benefits available. The VA will oversee the program to make sure the money is used properly and can require nonprofits to submit reports and answer questions about their work.

The bill authorizes $10 million per year for five years to fund this program, which would help expand access to service dogs for veterans who might otherwise struggle to afford them.