PTSD Program extended to B.C. and Alberta

National Service Dogs (NSD) is proud to announce they have received a $50,000 donation from Wounded Warriors Canada to expand National Service Dogs’ PTSD programming in support of ill and injured Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans and First Responders.

Founded in 1996, National Service Dogs (NSD) is a leading Canadian charity and the only Assistance Dogs International Accredited Program in Canada providing Certified Service Dogs to Veterans and First Responders with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Until now the program has been limited to Ontario. Funding from Wounded Warriors Canada will be used to expand their PTSD service dog programming to British Columbia and Alberta this Fall and will support the ongoing work in Ontario.

The support from Wounded Warriors Canada has now made it possible to increase the reach and impact of this life-changing program to veterans across the country. “PTSD is a local issue, a provincial issue, a national issue and an international issue,” notes NSD Program Manager, Tamara Leniew. “From the time we launched our PTSD program six years ago it was very apparent that our certified service dogs were needed on a much greater scale than we could offer at the time. Thanks to Wounded Warriors Canada we are now able to provide our program to vets in B.C. and Alberta. We know this program will be the answer for so many veterans who are struggling and we cannot wait to get started!”

Phil Ralph, Wounded Warriors Canada National Program Director, commented, “We are proud to partner with National Service Dogs. Since 2012, our organization has donated over $600,000 in support of Animal Assisted Therapy for PTSD and we remain committed to doing what we can to help pair these incredible service dogs with ill and injured Canadian Forces members, Veterans and First Responders across the country”.