Since coming to Congress, one of my top priorities has been supporting veterans’ transition from military service to civilian life.  During that transition, mental health plays a huge role.  But, for far too long veterans have not been able to access treatment to heal their invisible wounds of service, in addition to their physical wounds. 

To fix that, I rallied the support of 229 of my colleagues in Congress to re-introduce my bill, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act.  This legislation would offer more veterans access to the evidence-backed therapeutic benefits of training a service dog.

Working with service dogs is an excellent way to help veterans treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Research from institutions including Kaiser Permanente and Purdue University shows us that veterans who work with service dogs show:

1. Fewer symptoms of PTS and depression
2. Better interpersonal relationships
3. A lowered risk of substance abuse
4. Better overall mental health
5. Less of a reliance on psychotropic drugs

In addition to these widely conducted studies, in the last couple of months, the Veterans Administration (VA) finally unveiled the results of their ten-year long study.  It concluded what we already know: working with service dogs improves veterans’ mental health.

From my time as a Major General in the Ohio Army National Guard, and as the Representative for tens of thousands of veterans, I have gotten a unique understanding of the tremendous sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform.  I’ve met with soldiers who have shared what a big difference a serviced dog can make.  Soldiers who served under my command in Operation Iraqi Freedom told me that because of working with a service dog, they can go on planes, go out to restaurants.  This type of mission-backed work therapy transformed their lives. 

Walter Parker, a Vietnam War veteran, who I had the honor of hosting for the State of the Union last year told me how he had suffered for almost 60 years.  He was not able to leave his home.  After getting paired with his service dog, Jackson, he was able to attend the State of the Union.

The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act is a no-brainer.  It would put commonsense policies in place to help veterans get their lives and their freedom back.  I am proud that over two hundred of my colleagues decided to join me in this huge step forward towards creating a better life for veterans nationwide. 

I will keep working with both Republicans and Democrats to heal our heroes.  If you would like to learn more about the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, please call my Lancaster office at (740) 654-2654, my Hilliard office at (614) 771-4968, my Wilmington office at (937) 283-7049, or my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2015.