Service Dogs for Veterans: Programs, VA Benefits and What to Compare

Find veteran-serving service-dog programs and understand the VA veterinary-health benefit rules for qualifying service and guide dogs.

Veteran service-dog programs are not all the same

Some organizations focus on PTSD or TBI, while others serve mobility, hearing or visual disabilities. Some use rescue dogs, some breed or raise their own dogs, and some train a veteran’s existing dog.

VA does not simply provide a service dog to every veteran applicant

VA explains that it does not provide the service dog itself under its veterinary-health benefit. For qualifying veterans, recognized dogs for that benefit must come through training successfully completed with an ADI- or IGDF-accredited organization, depending on the dog’s function.

Accreditation can matter specifically for VA benefits

This is an important distinction: ADA public-access rights do not require ADI or IGDF accreditation, but VA benefit eligibility can impose accreditation requirements.

Use the veterans directory page to compare practical fit

Compare service type, whether the organization supplies the dog, where training occurs, cost, wait time and current application status.

Find programs that fit

Use the ServiceCanines provider directory to compare service type, location, cost, dog sourcing, current application status and other practical requirements.

Find Service Dog Providers