Exclusive to Oklahoma, Honoring America’s Warriors provides assistance dogs to qualifying service-connected disabled veterans at no cost. This includes the dog, training, equipment, food, and veterinary care. Honoring America’s Warriors will not train dogs other than ones purchased by the organization. We will not train owner supplied dogs/puppies.
To be eligible, veterans must have at least 10% service connection disability rating or higher, honorable discharge from service commitment, and live in a home with a fenced yard.
The program is funded through grants by the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and donations. Veterans must complete the online application, including a DD214 or equivalent and a memo from their physical or mental health doctor. The memo must state a need for a service dog. Once the application is received, a formal interview is set up. The formal and home interview is utilized to discuss training and learn more about the veteran’s needs and home life.
Studies have shown that dogs provide positive health benefits, increase fitness, lower stress, and improve happiness. Service dogs encompass all of these abilities, combined with training to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities.
A service dog is specifically trained to perform work or tasks for individuals with a disability. A dog could perform hundreds of tasks such as picking up objects, opening doors, alerting them for medical conditions, mobility assistance, waking individuals up from nightmares, and many more. Protecting someone, giving emotional support, or being a companion do not qualify a dog as a service animal. We tailor the training for the exact requirements or needs requested by the veteran.
The program starts with eight-week-old Labrador Retrievers puppies, provided by Honoring America’s Warriors. The puppy is then partnered with a puppy foster and trainer for the first few months. Where the puppy is taught simple commands such as bathroom breaks, leash control, entering and exiting doorways.
The puppy is then partnered with an eligible veteran, and the service dog team begins bonding and training. We use a “train the trainer” concept to enable a greater bond with the veteran and service dog. Teams train at Honoring America’s Warriors facility and off-site locations several days a week for up to two years. Once the team has attained the “Service Dog” patch they will move to a more relaxed training schedule as determined by the staff.
To be eligible for the program, veterans must have at least 10% service-connected rating or higher, honorable discharge and live in a home with a fenced yard. Since participants are required to attend weekly training at our facility, living in Oklahoma is a must.
Service dogs fall under The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
Training sessions are accomplished at Honoring America’s Warriors HQ located at 4149 Highline Blvd STE 280 OKC, Oklahoma 73108. Training is held Monday through Friday from 1030 to 1200 or by appointment. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us utilizing the Contact Us link at the top of the page.