Service Dogs for Patriots
Empowering veterans with PTSD
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a battle that a veteran will fight for the rest of his or her life. For many veterans the fight did not end upon their return home, but rather it has only just begun. Studies show that upward of 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and 30% of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD and/or depression. Considering there are roughly 2.7 million Iraq and Afghanistan and 2.6 million Vietnam combat veterans one can see the overwhelming need for help. These veterans live in a new reality with fears not known before. Crowds, loud noises, and things that were once never an issue make it difficult for a veteran with PTSD to even leave his or her home. They live with nightmares and anxiety that causes them to always look over their shoulder. As a result, veteran suicide has increased to an average of 22 per day. Many more struggle with everyday life in a way that ends marriages and causes difficulty maintaining employment.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
PTSD Service Dogs
Service Dogs for Patriots trains rescued dogs to work as service dogs with veterans with PTSD.
Where we work
External reviews
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We at Service Dogs for Patriots recognize the need for supporting veterans and seek to help through the use of a PTSD service dog. We pair a veteran with a former shelter dog, unless a dog is already owned and is capable of providing the required service. The veteran starts receiving help from day one as he or she takes part in the training process. During military service soldiers have a mission and that unique camaraderie is built during the training required to accomplish that mission. These shelter dogs need the veterans just as the veterans need them. They train together, forming a special bond and working toward a common goal. The dog learns the needs of the veteran and what to do to help, whether it be waking up the veteran from a bad dream or giving a warning when someone is walking up from behind. The list of what these dogs offer is extensive. They work together to save each other’s lives.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our program is built on cooperative training; that is customized training plans tailored to each veteran’s individual needs. Our trainers work with both the veteran and dog together to build camaraderie, teamwork, and trust. Training begins in the veteran’s local community to encourage their independent venturing to these locations during practice, and involves the entire family. We meet with the family to assess needs prior to and throughout the course of training. This allows our trainers to connect with each veteran on a personal level and understand the daily frustrations of managing TBI and PTSD.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The average cost of training a service dog through Service Dogs for Patriots is $5,550. We are able to keep costs low by maximizing donor dollars through community collaborations for most operational expenses. Management and overhead costs are low because we don’t utilize kennels nor breeding programs for dogs. Instead, we collaborate with rescue groups and prison training programs to match a veteran with a well-screened potential service dog. The veteran adopts this dog as his/her own and provides all care of the dog. The average period of time from application submission to dog adoption is 4 weeks.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have graduated five fully trained service dog/veteran handler teams thus far. Ten more service dog/veteran handler teams are in the process of completing our year-long service dog training program. We plan to graduate six teams by the end of 2018, and will graduate at least 15 teams in 2019.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Service Dogs for Patriots
Board of directorsas of 04/29/2019
Michelle Dunlap
Service Dogs for Patriots
Term: 2017 -
Susan Walls
United States Geological Society
Susan Keel
Rugby Staffords
Charles Hubert
US Army
Brent Bathurst
Purvis Gray and Company
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes