The American Legion is sponsoring the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) act.

In a recent email to its members, the Legion’s legislative team wrote: “Too many veterans are left without the critical support they need to recover from the visible and invisible wounds of war. For those living with physical disabilities, PTSD, or other service-connected conditions, the lack of access to trained service dogs represents a major gap in care. It’s time to close that gap.”

The SAVES act would accomplish the following:

• Establish a five-year pilot program at the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide grants to nonprofit organizations that train and place service dogs with eligible veterans.
• Cover the cost of service dog training tailored to the veteran’s specific needs.
• Provide veterinary insurance to ensure lifelong care and well-being for these highly trained service animals.

The Legion provides members and others with an interactive method to contact their elected officials through this link (see below).  By clicking on the graphic below, you can contact your two Senators and your House of Representative member to ask for their support of this bill.

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