Our Mission:

To help those who have served our country honorably live with dignity and independence.

The service dog programs of America’s VetDogs® were created to provide enhanced mobility and renewed independence to United States veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders with disabilities, allowing them to once again live with pride and self-reliance. Not only does a service dog provide support with daily activities, it provides the motivation to tackle every day challenges.

VetDogs trains and places service dogs for those with physical disabilities; guide dogs for individuals who are blind or have low vision; service dogs to help mitigate the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder; and facility dogs as part of the rehabilitation process in military and VA hospitals.

It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place one assistance dog; however, all of VetDogs’ services are provided at no charge to the individual. Funding comes from the generosity of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and community organizations.

Once they make the decision to get a service dog, applicants become part of VetDogs’ open and welcoming community. Students will come to our 10-acre campus in Smithtown, New York, for our two-week in-residence training program. Classes are kept small to ensure personalized attention for each student and their new dog. Over the course of the time spent with us, the student and dog bond and learn how to work together as a team. They are supported with an uncompromising commitment to excellence, from highly empathetic and certified trainers to a meticulously constructed curriculum.

Accreditation

In 2013, America's VetDogs became the second assistance dog school in the United States to be accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International; the Guide Dog Foundation was the first.

VetDogs has also been certified by PsychArmor, a national nonprofit that provides free education and support on how to work with, live with, or care for military veterans.

Accreditation and certification reinforces the organizations’ reputation by showing that we consistently follow the highest standards for the humane and ethical treatment of dogs, maintain educational benchmarks for trainers and apprentices, and that procedures are in place for consumers during the application process, including a way for them to address any grievances.

How we rate as a charity

America’s VetDogs is a 501(c)3 charity that has earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar/Candid. The Platinum Participant level requires that we share more than just our financial data. We also reported on our goals, strategies, capabilities, and programs. VetDogs was also recognized by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance as an accredited charity that meets their twenty “Standards for Charity Accountability”. VetDogs has also been identified by The Patriots Initiative as an accredited charity that meets their best practices that most effectively support our nation's armed forces communities.

ACCESSIBILITY, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

America's VetDogs celebrates the power and importance of cultural diversity.

Military Relationships

America's VetDogs has built cooperative relationships with the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and today, we are a premier organization providing assistance dogs COSC dog in Afghanistan.

and training to disabled veterans and active service members. VetDogs continually strives to increase the options and services for veterans to ensure that they receive all the tools they need to once again be self-reliant.

VetDogs has placed physical and occupational therapy dogs military medical centers including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD to work with service members recovering from amputations or other injuries.

We have been honored with the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award, the second-highest level award given to civilians “for exceptional service that makes a substantial contribution to the accomplishment of the Army’s missions.”

Guide Dog Foundation

The Guide Dog Foundation was founded after World War II to provide guide dogs and training at no cost to veterans returning from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. With the aging of America’s veterans, and as servicemen and women return home from current conflicts, the Foundation recognized there would be a greater need for guide dogs and specialized service dogs to help these disabled veterans live again in dignity and independence.

America’s VetDogs was created by the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. in 2003 to provide assistance dogs to America’s wounded veterans to help them return to a life without boundaries. In 2006, it became a separate 501(c)(3) corporation; the two organizations continue to share staff and other resources to ensure people with disabilities receive the best services possible.