The Department’s investigations found that Deerfield and Landmark discriminated against veterans with PTSD when they refused to honor reservations for hotel rooms because the veterans were accompanied by their service dogs.
“I’ve lost a total of 33 friends… a great deal of them in combat, but also quite a few of them to suicide,” Dosedel said. “If they would have had a service dog, they might still be here… saved my life.”
The relationship between man and dog really highlights the fact that well-being goes beyond the physical. It’s mental, it’s emotional, it’s all that put together. That’s what K9s for Warriors is all about.
Research shows that about 78% of 1,200 Americans surveyed in an online study agree that mental illness requiring ESAs is real. Another 81% believe that ESAs should be allowed on commercial airplanes, while only 40% believe that airlines should be allowed to ban ESAs for safety reasons.
While the V.A. covers the veterinary care and the equipment costs of service dogs for veterans with certain physical disabilities, like blindness or vision impairment, department leaders have long contended that there isn’t enough clinical evidence to prove their benefits for treating mental-health issues.