Va Service Dogs?

[Guest rickb54]

Does anyone know if the va will provide a service dog to hearing or wheelchair veterans? If so under what criteria, or regulation is the dog provided? I can't find anything on the subject that provides any meanful information, any aid would be appreciated.

[Wings]

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Good question Rick! In the years I've been at Hadit, I've read 1-2 folks that HAVE gotten service dogs, but I don't remember their stories! Hope somebody else will lead! ~Wings

[olenavygoat]

It should be somewhere in the aid and attendance segment of Title 38. You can get the info over the phone from the VA Voc Rehab folks.

[Wings]

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Have to search thomas.gov to see how this Bill fared in Congress!! ~Wings

STATEMENT OF

ANTHONY J. PRINCIPI

SECRETARY

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

ON PROPOSED LEGISLATION

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITEE ON HEALTH

COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 6, 2001

http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:cD2P6l...t=clnk&cd=9

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:

I am pleased to be here this morning to comment on H. R. 2792, the "Disabled Veterans Service Dog and Health Care Improvement Act of 2001.'' If enacted, this bill would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make service dogs available to disabled veterans and to make various other changes in health care benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This morning I would like to briefly summarize the various sections of the bill, and provide VA's views of these sections.

Section 2 - Service Dogs

The bill would amend the existing law to expand VA's authority to provide guide dogs to blind veterans. Current law limits the provision of guide dogs to blind veterans who are entitled to disability compensation. The bill removes that limitation and would authorize VA to provide service dogs to veterans who are hearing impaired or who have spinal cord injury or dysfunction or other chronic impairment that substantially limits mobility.

Service dogs can assist a disabled person in his or her daily life and can assist that person during medical emergencies. They can be trained in many tasks, including, but not limited to, pulling a wheelchair, carrying a back-pack, opening and closing doors, helping with dressing and undressing, retrieving dropped items, picking up the telephone, and hitting a distress button on the telephone. Some service dogs can perceive when the disabled individual is in distress and can find help. Dogs can also assist the hearing impaired by alerting them to doorbells, ringing phones, smoke detectors, crying babies, and emergency sirens on vehicles.

The existing statutory authority allows VA to pay for certain travel and incidental expenses incurred by veterans while adjusting to seeing-eye or guide dogs. The bill would amend the language to allow VA to pay these expenses for all guide dogs or service dogs covered by this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, the benefit of guide dogs for the blind is well known, and we support having authority to also provide service dogs for veterans who are hearing impaired and who have spinal cord injuries or other chronic impairments, and to pay for certain costs associated with adjusting to the dogs. However, we believe the provision of guide dogs and service dogs should continue to be limited to veterans who are entitled to service-connected compensation. If this provision becomes law, we would promulgate prescription criteria and guidelines to insure that we provide dogs only to those veterans who can most benefit from them.

[Hoppy]

Terry,

So did I.

[Pete53]

I have my own service dog who goes everywhere with me. No help from VA and I have not seen but one Veteran at VAMC with a dog.

[Guest rickb54]

I have my own service dog who goes everywhere with me. No help from VA and I have not seen but one Veteran at VAMC with a dog.

Pete, how much does a service dog cost? I am convinced the cost is well worth the help your dog gives you. I am seriously thinking of getting one. so much I can't do on my own anymore, and I spend so much time alone so need help.