Dogs, Not Drugs for Struggling Vets

A Florida congressman running for the Senate thinks he has a better and, ultimately, cheaper way to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder — man’s best friend.

Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican representing a coastal district in and around Daytona Beach, has sponsored the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act. The PAWS Act would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide service dogs to some veterans struggling with the psychological toll of war.

“These dogs are specifically trained to recognize the symptoms of a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress,” he said on “The Laura Ingraham Show” on Friday. “We’re obviously convinced that it will save lives.”

According to the congressman’s office, 29 percent of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans suffer from PTSD. In 2010, Congress authorized the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the costs and benefits of providing service dogs to vets. But after six years and $12 million to $14 million, only 40 veterans have received dogs.

“Right now, the VA says they don’t recognize the service dogs as legitimate treatment,” DeSantis said. “And they’ve been studying the issue for years and years with no resolution. So the time is now.”

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A Marine testified this week at a congressional hearing about the benefits of his service dog, which cost $10,000.

“The $10,000 I would pay it 10 more times if I had to do it over again,” Cole Lyle said at the hearing of the National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “It has paid dividends in how I’m able to overcome specific symptoms associated with military experience, and I would recommend it highly to anybody who feels as though opioids and traditional therapies just aren’t working.”

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DeSantis acknowledged that the program would be costly. But he said a private program in his district, Canines for Warriors, has managed to cut the cost in half over the last few years. What’s more, he added, the normal course of treatment involves drugs.

“That’s very expensive,” he said. “It’s also been proven to not be effective at all for a lot of our veterans.”

DeSantis is in a crowded Republican primary to replace retiring Sen. Marco Rubio. The vote is scheduled for Aug. 30. Whoever wins will be locked in one of the marquee Senate match-ups across the country. Most analysts rate the general election as a tossup.