Leashes of Valor Announces Newest Canine-Warrior Class
LOV to host graduation, open house on March 22 at Axel’s Place in Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Va. — Leashes of Valor, a national nonprofit that provides service dogs at no cost to post-9/11 veterans to help with post-traumatic stress disorder and other “unseen wounds” of their service, will host a new class of warriors from March 14 to March 21.
Three Army veterans will be paired with service dogs at Axel’s Place, Leashes of Valor’s in-residence facility on Old Plank Road in Fredericksburg. During the weeklong class, veterans learn how to care for and work with their new service dogs, including taking part in extensive, hands-on public access training.
The class culminates with a warrior-canine graduation and open house at Axel’s Place on March 22 from 1 to 3 p.m.
LOV’s March class includes combat veterans from Ohio, Montana, and Fredericksburg who served during the two-decade-long War on Terrorism that saw more than 3 million deployments of U.S. service members.
“Although the wars are over, many veterans continue to fight,” said retired Marine Corps Capt. Jason Haag, LOV founder and CEO.
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 30% of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Service members and veterans continue to die by suicide at a higher rate than their civilian counterparts.
Veteran disability attorneys Hill & Ponton polled nearly 700 veterans to gauge the level of interest and access to PTSD service dogs. Results show that despite being increasingly recognized as a treatment option for PTSD, many veterans lack access. Learn more at Hill & Ponton.
“Service dogs save lives,” Haag said. “I’m proof of that. After years of battling PTSD and trying countless ways to get better, a service dog named Axel saved my life. If not for him, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Since its founding in 2017, LOV has had more than 40 successful warrior-canine pairings.
“The veterans we have served are no longer just surviving. They are thriving,” Haag said. “We are incredibly grateful to be able to provide these dogs to a new class of warriors.”
Although service dogs are increasingly recognized as a treatment for PTSD, the Department of Veterans Affairs and most insurers do not cover the cost. LOV service dogs train for up to two years at a cost of approximately $27,000 before they are provided to veterans free of charge. LOV is funded solely by grants, donors, and sponsors.
“This week is made possible by the generosity of the Walter Reed Society, the Jake Ryder Foundation, and businesses and individuals right here in Fredericksburg,” Haag said. “We hope the community comes out in force on March 22 to see firsthand how these dogs are making an impact on veterans, families, and communities.”
About Leashes of Valor
Leashes of Valor is a 501c3 that provides highly-trained service dogs to post-9/11 veterans to help with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other “unseen wounds” of military service. Whenever possible, dogs come from animal shelters and rescue organizations. Our goal is to enrich and improve the lives of both veterans and dogs: one leash saves two lives.