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Service Dogs for Veterans Transform Lives

22 Veterans commit suicide every day. It is our mission to change this.

Paws Assisting Veterans (PAVE) provides highly trained service dogs free of charge to Veterans to enhance their quality of life.

How to get involved

How To Get A Service Dog

Veterans

Learn how a PAVE service dog can help you reclaim your independence.

Donors

We need your support to save lives and help Veterans regain their freedom.

Get Involved

Change the lives of our veterans in many different ways.

Paws Assisting Veterans (PAVE)

Service Dogs for Veterans in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

At PAVE, it is our mission and privilege to honor Veterans that have served our country. We provide service dogs to Veterans at no charge to PAVE their way to freedom and independence. Through customized training and lifetime support, we contribute to reducing the devastating rate of Veteran suicide, and offer practical support for Veterans that are left with the psychological and/or physical wounds of military service. Veterans receive all essential supplies and equipment needed for their service dog upon graduation (a value of $1,500).

Since 2010, we’ve been working to improve our program and ensure we do everything we can to aid Veterans in need. PAVE is accredited by Assistance Dogs International (ADI), which assures high-quality standards and continual review. The VA requires ADI or International Guide Dog Federation accreditation for consideration of providing insurance benefits for service dogs to Veterans. We provide services and support to U.S. Veterans with no restriction to certain dates of service, working with those with military-related psychological and/or physical disabilities.

The Benefits Of Service Dogs

How PAVE’s Four-Legged Heroes Empower Veterans

Service dogs provide incredible therapeutic and practical benefits for Veterans. At PAVE, we customize our training to suit the Veteran's unique needs; the service dog provides tailored support with various everyday tasks, from picking up items or delivering medication to waking a Veteran from a nightmare.

PAVE service dogs are well-attuned to recognizing PTSD episodes through individual scent training and monitor for hypervigilance to prevent panicking in public. Our service dogs have been trained to provide Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) to provide a calming influence, grounding the Veteran and bringing them back from a PTSD episode. They’re a calming presence in the often-chaotic minds of Veterans and scientific studies have shown them to have a tremendous positive impact on their lives, even reducing the need for prescription medications.

HOW TO GET A SERVICE DOG

Real PAVE Success Stories

Alex was severely injured by an IED while serving in Afghanistan. Since returning home, his PAVE service dog, Troy, provides support for him and his wife Kim. It takes just one look at Troy and Alex to see the powerful bond created between the pair.

~ Alex and Troy

John suffered from debilitating nightmares for decades. They robbed him of his independence and will to live. Just as John thought nothing would alleviate the suffering, PAVE matched him with his service dog, Truman.

~ John and Truman

Tiffany’s life was torn apart by PTSD. In her darkest moments, she barely got three hours of sleep. PAVE facilitated 1:1 training and customized placement with service dog, Sage, to help Tiffany regain her life. Her message for all Veterans is, “Don’t quit! Don’t give up!”

~ Tiffany and Sage

Service Dogs Save Veterans’ Lives

You can make a difference. We can help.

Every single day, an estimated 22 Veterans commit suicide. This statistic is a heartbreaking national health problem that PAVE seeks to counter, and many Veterans who have worked with us attest that their PAVE service dog has saved their life. These dogs support Veterans as they readjust to their civilian lives and families.

The benefits of a service dog have been shown time and time again. Veterans report better sleep quality and quantity, reduced nightmares, ability to go out in public on their own, ability to join in activities with family and friends, less anxiety, reduced PTSD symptoms, and an incredible overall improvement to their quality of life. Service dogs positively improve mental health, with the demonstrated ability to decrease suicidal ideation in Veterans – all while helping to improve movement, independence, and build confidence.