Soldier’s Best Friend expands mission to serve all veterans with PTSD or TBI

PHOENIX — Arizona-based nonprofit Soldier’s Best Friend has expanded its mission to serve all U.S. military veterans living with service-related post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, regardless of whether they deployed to a combat zone.

The organization announced the update this month, saying the change is intended to remove barriers that previously prevented some veterans from qualifying for its service and therapeutic companion dog program.

“Soldier’s Best Friend provides U.S. veterans living with military service-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury with Service or Therapeutic Companion Dogs, most of which are rescued from local shelters,” the organization’s updated mission statement reads. “The veteran and dog train together to build a trusting relationship that touches two lives at once and inspires countless others.”

While not all veterans served in combat, many experienced traumatic events or sustained injuries during military service that resulted in PTSD or TBI. Soldier’s Best Friend officials said the revised mission ensures those veterans are no longer excluded from receiving support through the program.

Founded in 2011, Soldier’s Best Friend has graduated 483 veterans and rescued more than 380 dogs from local shelters. The program pairs veterans with a suitable shelter dog or, in some cases, a veteran’s own dog that meets service dog criteria. Veterans and dogs then train together for six to nine months alongside professional trainers with the goal of qualifying the dog as a service animal.

According to the organization, Arizona ranks 13th nationally in total veteran population, with approximately 454,620 veterans statewide. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data shows up to 20 percent of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom experience PTSD, translating to an estimated 90,000 veterans living with PTSD in Arizona.

PTSD and TBI can cause symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, mood instability, and cognitive challenges, which can complicate veterans’ transitions to civilian life. Research cited by Soldier’s Best Friend from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Arizona indicates trained service dogs can help reduce symptom severity and improve daily functioning.

Soldier’s Best Friend provides its program at no cost to veterans and operates training sites throughout Arizona, including Peoria, Mesa, Sierra Vista, Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, and Show Low.

More information and applications are available at SoldiersBestFriend.org.