Florida has one of the nation’s largest veterans populations, with nearly 1.4 million men and women having served in our military. Nearly 200,000 responded to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, deploying during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Sadly, for about 20%, the fighting didn’t end on the battlefield; they came home crippled by post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma
. They continue to struggle to reclaim their lives.As we reflect on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we must remember that some wounds do not disappear when the fighting stops. Congress recognized this reality by passing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, providing long-term medical care and financial support to hundreds
of thousands of first responders.
Their lives were permanently altered by cancers and other debilitating diseases in the aftermath of that day.
As a veteran and head of a national veteran service organization in Florida, I wish Congress would provide the same kind of long-term commitment to all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who came home permanently scarred by their experiences.
Far too many have searched desperately for ways to heal while confronting the devastating truth that approximately 20 veterans die by suicide each day.
One of the most promising tools available to them is a service dog. These specially trained dogs can help veterans manage their invisible wounds of war, navigate public spaces, establish routines and reconnect with the people they love.
Sadly, our government has turned its back on veterans, despite knowing that service dogs have been scientifically proven to help those devastated by PTSD. For some implausible reason, Congress has failed to enact legislation supporting organizations that provide service dogs — at no financial cost to the veterans. That must change.
My friend Adam Satzman is proof of the life-transforming benefits of a service dog.
Now retired from the United States Air Force, Satzman spent 12 years serving during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve. Like many who returned home with invisible wounds, he struggled to readjust to civilian, work and family life while battling severe PTSD.
He wanted to be a loving husband and father to his twins, but panic attacks, night terrors and constant hypervigilance left him barely hanging on.
Through K9s for Warriors, Satzman was paired in 2023 with Cooper, a yellow Labrador who became a constant source of stability, helping him manage anxiety, remain grounded in public spaces and reconnect with his family. Today, he is healing and thriving.
Congress now has an opportunity to help more veterans like Satzman. The bipartisan Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act (SAVES), introduced as part of the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (TCAVA), would establish a multi-year, multi-million-dollar grant program to help qualified nonprofit organizations increase the number of highly trained service dogs available to eligible veterans.
SAVES and TCAVA represent a historic investment in veterans. Supported by more than 20 veteran and military service organizations — including K9s for Warriors — the legislation advances long-standing priorities to provide meaningful relief to veterans, caregivers, survivors and combat-injured service members.
That investment is desperately needed. It costs more than $50,000 to train a service dog, which takes at least six months. Nonprofits like mine must raise that money on our own, limiting the number of veterans we can serve.
That means that veterans who could benefit from service dogs face lengthy wait lists (ours is currently over 300), while nonprofit organizations shoulder the enormous cost of training them.
Moreover, through SAVES and TCAVA, Congress can help two populations that have sacrificed and been overlooked. Many service dogs are rescued from shelters where they might face euthanasia. By investing in service dogs for veterans, Congress can help save lives at both ends of the leash.
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln, speaking of America's responsibility to veterans, said, “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
More than 160 years later, those words still define our obligation. Congress must act now. Doing nothing is a dereliction of duty. It tells those who served — especially those who came home with psychological and physical scars — that their lives aren’t worth saving, they’re expendable and that their service meant nothing.
Dan Bean, CEO, K9s for Warriors, Ponte Vedra
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: How Congress can help save lives ‘at both ends of the leash’ | Opinion
