A presentation by Vet 2 Vet Service Dogs before the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC) on 21 September 2022 describing their work and the importance of service dogs in addressing mental health issues, inclusive of suicide prevention, among veterans.

1. VET 2VET SERVICE
DOGS

2. "Placing a service dog with one veteran will
not change the world but surely for that
one veteran the world will change forever".
We have your
six @VET2VETSERVICEDOGS

3. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE!?
Service Dogs
Working
Dogs
Therapy Dogs
Emotional
Support Dogs

4. SERVICE DOGS/ SERVICE ANIMALS
Covered under the Americans with Disability Act ADA
Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to work or perform
tasks for people with disabilities
A service dog is allowed anywhere that the public is allowed
Service Dogs in training access varies from state to state but in PA they have the same
access as a Service dog that has passed his public access test

5. TWO QUESTIONSTHAT SOMEONE
CAN ASKYOU
Is the service dog required
because of a disability?
What work or task has the
dog been trained to perform?

6. HOW MUCH
TRAINING
DOES A SERVICE
DOG HAVE TO
GO THROUGH?
• Minimum of 120 hours and 6 months of training
• Most dogs start between 8-10 weeks of age and with
graduate their (public access test )PAT between 1 ½ -2
years of age
• A service dog will know upwards of 40 commands at
the end of their training
• 800-1000 reps of each command in order to master it
• Average cost $30,000-$40,000

7. BENEFITS
• A service dog can alert its handler 7-
10 minutes before any onset
symptoms- meaning before you
physically know that somethings is
wrong
• Decreases a person’s anxiety, stress,
anger, hypervigilance, better sleep and
allows its handler to have a more
functional, balanced life

8. HOW DO THEY
DO THAT!?
• Smell in the increase in your cortisol or can sense your
heart rate increasing
• Through bond and a lot of hard work the dog learns to
alert the handler of these episodes which is life
changing
• Smell is 10,000-100,000 times stronger than ours

9. IT’S A LIFESTYLE
CHANGE

10. BUT ALLTHE HARD
WORK IS WORTH IT
IN THE END…….
If you know someone that needs help with their service dog or
in obtaining a service dog please let them know about us at
www.vet2vetservicedogs.com