Rep. Michael Grimm's Bill would have disabled vets train dogs

Bill would have disabled vets train dogs
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 8, 2011 9:42:21 EST
A Marine veteran newly elected to Congress wants to establish a pilot program to see if training dogs to help disabled veterans can be therapeutic for veterans with post-traumatic stress or other combat-related mental conditions.

Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., a veteran of the first Gulf War who spent a combined eight years in the Marines, says the Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act “is about veterans helping veterans.”

Grimm’s proposal is modeled after legislation that passed the House last year but was never taken up in the Senate. One change he made in the bill — encouraging that the dogs come from shelters — has earned the measure an endorsement from the Humane Society of the United States.

Getting dogs from shelters not only saves animals’ lives but also reduces costs, because specially bred service dogs can cost up to $50,000 each, according to a press release jointly issued by Grimm and the Humane Society.

Reps. Peter King of New York and Leonard Lance of New Jersey, both Republicans, and Michael Michaud, D-Maine, are original co-sponsors of the bill, which was referred to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee for consideration.

“So many servicemen and women returning from combat struggle with severe PTSD,” Grimm said in a statement. “My legislation provides an opportunity to ease these symptoms through the process of training service dogs. These dogs — many of which I hope will be saved from shelters — will then be given to physically disabled veterans to assist them with their daily activities.”

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Bill would have disabled vets train dogs