Vets w/ Pets is a volunteer, Disabled Veteran and Civilian operated, U.S. based campaign of Veterans Support Syndicate, Inc., which advocates to keep and place companion, support and service animals with U.S. Veterans. As an extension, we further support Veteran based organizations and “Military/Veteran-friendly” organizations by aiding in the care of housed and homeless animals while they await forever homes.
Virtual Pet Events Calendar
Be sure to frequently check out our calendar or follow us on social media for alerts regarding FREE virtual "pet" events.(All events listed are hosted by a variety of non-affiliated, independent facilitators.)
A Trauma Registry Would Save Injured US Military Working Dogs
While a trauma registry is available that keeps track of the injuries of two-legged U.S. military members, there is no trauma registry for the military working dogs (MWDs) who put their lives on the line to save these troops.Over 90 MWDs died in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to 2013. The majority of those deaths were from gunshot wounds, explosions and heat-related stress.A military working dog trauma registry would be crucial to saving the lives of these heroes, according to a registry strategic planning group that includes representatives from the Department of Defense's Military Working Dog Veterinary Service.
DONATIONs
Ways to Help Us Help ThemWhile our preferred donation methods are accepted via Chewy and Free Animal Doctor, we do offer other options that provide donations specifically for our operation costs and funding for the animals of military and veterans.Should you choose to opt out of specifically donating to Vets w/ Pets, we ask that you at least consider donating directly to any of the other organizations featured on our site.(Please be clear that Vets w/ Pets and our parent organization, Veterans Support Syndicate, are 501(c)19 nonprofit initiatives, NOT 501(c)3. Therefore, any donations you make to US directly, are not tax deductible. However, donations made via any of our featured organizations may be. Check their 501(c) status to confirm.)
Chewy.com
Sharing Our Passion for PetsChewy is deeply committed to helping shelters and rescues find forever homes for every pet. Their program reaches into the heart and soul of the community, empowering organizations like Vets w/ Pets to do even more.For every donation you make through our Chewy page, we will share your gift with either a Veteran based organization that provides dogs to disabled Veterans or a local Military/Veteran friendly shelter inorder to help feed dogs until they find a forever home.(Please click the image above or HERE to access our Chewy page.)
Free Animal Doctor
The #1 barrier to people donating to animals online is fear of fraud. Free Animal Doctor, a nonprofit, removes that fear by offering a FREE verified platform that only pays the veterinarian.Military & Veterans, they may be able to help you raise funds for your pet's NON-EMERGENCY treatment!Free Animal Doctor does NOT require income verification or anything like that. They keep it simple, and fast. But BEFORE completing their application, please read their limitations and requirements first!
Free Animal Doctor's method of crowdfunding is as close as you can come to donating directly to the animal in need and it’s a pretty unique way to raise money.Vets w/ Pets is confident about this method and will therefore provide limited support to further the efforts of military/veterans who optin for this service.To request our assistance, view a current list of military/veteran pet campains and/or donate to a campaign, click the button below.
SUPPORTing
While the following featured organizations receive priority support from us, additional organizations do benefit in accordance with donation availability.Should you choose to opt out of donating via the options above, we ask that you at least consider donating directly to any of the other organizations featured on our site.(Please click the corresponding image for more information regarding these organizations & programs or to make a direct donation.)
Feeding Pets of the Homeless
Feeding Pets of the Homeless provides emergency veterinary care, preventative wellness clinics, and pet food and supplies to the companion animals of homeless people across the country. The organization also provides assistance to veterans who are homeless as well as those veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program who are housed and in VA treatment programs.
Greater Good Charities
In the United States, around 37.8k veterans are homeless on any given night - representing one fourth of all homeless people. Many of these veterans rely on pets as companions to make it on the streets.Unfortunately, a large majority of homeless shelters do not allow pets on their property. As an effort to aid homeless veterans, Greater Good Charities retrofits homeless shelters to accept pets, we can ensure more people get the help they need, and that more pets are saved in the process.
Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet ©
The Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet: Pet Foster Home Program, has a two-fold purpose, assisting with deploying active duty service members and veterans in specific situations. They locate volunteer foster homes within their network and the Military Pet Assistance (MPA) fund to assist Homeless Veterans with veterinary care and temporary pet boarding expenses.As for veterans, in summary, their services extend to:• Wounded Warrior and family members needing foster home assistance due to combat injuries, including TBI, PTSD, or other major medical issues;
• Required Veterinary Care including but not limited to being spayed/neutered, heartworm (canines) or Feline Leukemia (felines) testing with negative results, current on all required vaccinations necessary by the veterinarian or state regulations.
• Short Term Pet Foster Care not to exceed 14 days where a pet needs a foster home immediately when no foster home is available;
• Pet Boarding in a local licensed boarding facility less than 30 days while the veteran pet owner is an “inpatient” due to an unforeseen illness or surgery.See their website for complete details on all services available and their requirements.
Dogs on Deployment
Dogs on Deployment is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides a free online network for service members, veterans and first-responders to search for volunteers who are willing to foster their pets due to the hardships of deployments, other service commitments and hospitalization or treatments for certain conditions.
[VETERAN SPECIFIC]
K9s for Warriors
Hundreds of veterans continue to struggle after serving our country. As the nation's largest provider of service dogs to military veterans, since 2011, K9s For Warriors has not only transformed the lives of many veterans suffering from PTSD, MST and TBI, they've also changed the lives of dogs who are paired with them.With the majority of dogs coming from high-kill rescue shelters, this innovative program allows the K9/Warrior team to build an unwavering bond that facilitates their collective healing and recovery.One of Vets w/ Pets' volunteer Veterans has been accepted into the K9s For Warriors program and in support of them and K9s For Warriors, we are avid supporters of their efforts to aid disabled veterans in their journey to better mental health and improved quality of life.
VA and the Humane Society: Connecting Veterans with Pets
Pets make life better. So much so that the Department of Veterans Affairs has partnered with the Humane Society of the United States to encourage Veterans to consider pet ownership as well as volunteer opportunities with community organizations such as local animal shelters.Vets w/ Pets further supports this mission.
SPCA International’s Operation Military Pets
In gratitude, we gracefully support the SPCA in return for their military support to provide financial assistance for pet relocation costs, so that pets can remain with their service member.
VETERAN
PET ADOPTION
This list is nonconclusive and the links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. They do not constitute an endorsement or an approval of any of the products, services, or opinions of the organization.
Many brave troops return home with scars – both seen and unseen – that make it difficult to transition back to civilian life. At the same time, millions of wonderful animals wait in shelters for a forever home. Pets for Vets is the bridge that brings them together.When a Veteran is matched with the right pet, both lives change for the better. The Veteran saves the animal and welcomes him/her into a loving home. The pet provides the Veteran with unconditional love and support, easing stress, depression, loneliness and anxiety. Together, they share a Super Bond® that provides them both with a whole new “leash” on life.
Pets for Patriots helps veterans find, adopt, and care for their new best friends. “Ordinary” shelter/rescue dogs and cats who have an extraordinary capacity to love.Veterans who adopt through Pets for Patriots receive a range of benefits to reduce the lifetime costs of having a pet and to nurture the person-pet bond.
Adopt A Hero Dog!Working Dog Adoption InformationThe dogs they primarily have for placement are Contract Working Dogs. They do the same job as Military Working Dogs but are not owned by the Government.These dogs are RETIRED. Their work is finished.They cannot be certified as Service Dogs for any purpose and are not trained for that work.IMPORTANT – Please understand that before you can adopt, assuming you meet the particular needs criteria for a dog, Mission K9 Rescue checks everything.
VETERANs AFFAIRs
& SERVICE DOGs
Currently, the VA claims there is not enough research to know if dogs help treat PTSD and its symptoms. Evidence-based therapies and medications for PTSD are supported by clinical research. We encourage you to learn more about these treatments because it is difficult to draw strong conclusions from the few studies on dogs and PTSD that have been done.
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 20 veterans die from suicide per day. But veterans’ access to life-saving service animals may have gotten a little easier. President Joe Biden signed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Therapy Act in early August 2021.This five-year pilot program requires that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides grants to organizations that train service dogs and match them with veterans. This new act will help veterans gain access to the in-demand companion, the service dog.
The VA supports guide and service dogs for Veterans who are visually, hearing and/or physically impaired but on a case-by-case basis. Veterans approved for service dogs are referred to Assistance Dogs International-accredited agencies.Once approved and the Veteran has acquired a dog via an accredited agencie, the VA will pay for veterinary care and the equipment (e.g. harness and/or backpack) required for optimal use of the dog. Veterinary care includes prescribed medications, office visits for medical procedures, and dental procedures where the dog is sedated (one sedated dental procedure will be covered annually).
Top 11 Organizations That Help With VA Service Dog Training for Veterans. | VA Claims Insider
NONPROFIT
SERVICE DOGs
This list is nonconclusive and the links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. They do not constitute an endorsement or an approval of any of the products, services, or opinions of the organization.
America’s VetDogs specializes placing highly-skilled service and guide dogs to individuals with physical injuries, PTSD, hearing and vision loss, and seizures.
Animals Deserve Better, Inc through its Paws For Life Veterans Program is making a difference in the lives of our Heroes. For hundreds of wounded veterans, the long walk to recovery is often a lonely one. A Service Dog can make a world of difference.
SD4V provides a unique training program for Veterans to train their own Service Dog, to help them cope with the pain of loss, the nightmare of memory, and the loneliness of survival. This training helps to build strong ADA- compliant Service Dog Teams that positively impact the quality of life of the Veteran, and their Dog
The American Humane, Pups4Patriots™ program, rescues qualified shelter dogs and trains them to offer the best possible assistance to veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). All the dogs are trained according to American Humane’s new service dog standards—an approach developed by a Scientific Advisory Committee of scientists, veteran experts, mental health professionals, animal welfare specialists, veterinarians, dog trainers, and other key advocates.
United States Veterans Service Dogs was created for and is dedicated to helping veterans return to a new “Normal” by training and placing quality service dogs with veterans. These specially trained dogs provide support to mitigate the effects of mental and physical disabilities.
AFFILIATEs
VetTix
Give Something to Those Who Give & Gave_VetTix _ provides tickets to events which reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life. We support our troops by honoring their service and providing positive family and life experiences, during and after their years of service to our country.For every signup via OUR link, we earn appreciation coins. This allows us to share the love and show further appreciation to Vets w/ Pets volunteers.SIGN UP TODAY FOR A TOTALLY FREE ACCOUNT!(Please click the image above to access our VetTix link.)
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CONTACT US
Vets w/ Pets
Veterans Support Syndicate
427 E. 17th Street
STE F #756
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
610.894.1373 x4
© 2022 Vets w/ Pets
Veterans Support Syndicate
All rights reserved.