Fischer, Booker Urge VA Secretary to Work with Them to Enact PAWS Act

Press Release

U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) today sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough, urging him to work with them to enact their legislation known as the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act.

The letter outlines recent studies which have shown that service dogs benefit veterans suffering from PTSD. The bipartisan PAWS Act would create a three-year program with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would provide service dogs to veterans with PTSD.

"It is clear that veterans suffering from mental health disorders are at an increased risk for suicide. According to the Department's National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, published in November 2020, among veterans with recent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care who died by suicide in 2018, nearly 60% of them had a mental health or substance use disorder diagnosis, which often co-occurs with PTSD, within a two-year period preceding their death. The report also found that an average of 17.6 veterans died by suicide each day in 2018," the senators wrote.

"Unfortunately, as you know, the ability for veterans to access a service dog to assist with their PTSD through the VA is extremely limited. While traditional treatments for mental health and PTSD will always play an important role, we are leaving a powerful tool unused..."

"…We believe that the PAWS Act would be in line with your pledge to make sure that the VA is not limited by outdated tools and practices and promise to fight like hell for our veterans and we hope that we can work together to ensure that the PAWS Act is enacted and successfully implemented to do just that," the senators continued.

The PAWS Act currently has 13 cosponsors.

Click here to read the full letter.

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