One Health

Liberty Dogs™ pairs U.S. military Veterans living with PTSD with highly trained Service Dogs, including dogs adopted from shelters.

Shelter dogs receive a second chance and a meaningful purpose. Veterans gain greater independence, confidence, and connection. And communities are stronger when both people and animals have the support they need to thrive.

Liberty Dogs was established by the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation, whose philanthropic family also includes Maddie's Fund^®.

Thank you, Liberty Dogs, for supporting shelter dogs, Veterans, and the communities they share. 💙🐕‍🦺

🎥 Watch their story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

#OneHealth #ServiceDogs #Veterans

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Center for Pet Family Well-Being
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Love this!  As a veteran with ptsd, there is nothing more healing than having a dog as your battle buddy.   

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Catherine Morris
Volunteer
Sammies Friends Animal Shelter
CA
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Hi I have wanted to do this for so long. However I found that unless dogs are trained as full "service dogs" the VA will not help fund the program. And that you have to be "certified" after 5 years in order to qualify as well. My goal was to pull more shelter dogs and train them specifically for PTSD interaction as well as good basic skills. But not sure how that can be funded. I know some programs start basic training in county or state prisons. Do you do that? Any ideas on how we can work to start a similar program would be helpful. Thanks much for all you do.

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Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
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Carol, I volunteer with Sammies Friends in Nevada County (located in small rural town in northern Ca).  I'm also a counselor at community college and have a 70 VA rating for ptsd. From my own experience, I believe moral injury is a factor as much as ptsd is in my life.  I have trained my own service dog for past 6 years, but in all honesty, having my service dog with me as my buddy and knowing I'm no longer alone, is unbelievably healing!  I'm hoping that veterans will find just being apart of something meaningful again, creating camraderie, and connecting with another animal that also has experienced trauma will be healing at both ends of the leash. We're working with the Veterans Service Office (VS0) and conducting a very small pilot project for veterans.  We're very fortunate to have 2 amazing trainers at Sammie's Friends, which is such a blessing.  I'm helping out with the outreach, peer mentoring, etc.  I'm retiring next year as a counselor and hope to spend my next journey being of service to shelter dogs, veterans & 1st responders.  I'll attach a flyer.  Again, we're starting out very small to work out the kinks and get feedback from our veterans that sign up.  I'll try to attach a flyer.  

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Catherine Morris
Volunteer
Sammies Friends Animal Shelter
CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2026 12:54 PM
From: Carol Bridges
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

Hi I have wanted to do this for so long. However I found that unless dogs are trained as full "service dogs" the VA will not help fund the program. And that you have to be "certified" after 5 years in order to qualify as well. My goal was to pull more shelter dogs and train them specifically for PTSD interaction as well as good basic skills. But not sure how that can be funded. I know some programs start basic training in county or state prisons. Do you do that? Any ideas on how we can work to start a similar program would be helpful. Thanks much for all you do.

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Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
------------------------------

Carol, 

By "full" service dogs, do you mean fully trained or do you mean task-trained? Federal funding will support programs that provide owner-training programs, where the Veteran works with staff to train service dogs for their specific needs. However, you are unlikely to find federal funding to support providing an emotional support or untrained companion animal. The latter two are not service animals. Certification typically consists of showing that your dog is task-trained. Check out Assistance Dogs International for some foundational information. 

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Erica Webb
Director of Programs
Paws and Stripes
NM
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2026 12:54 PM
From: Carol Bridges
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

Hi I have wanted to do this for so long. However I found that unless dogs are trained as full "service dogs" the VA will not help fund the program. And that you have to be "certified" after 5 years in order to qualify as well. My goal was to pull more shelter dogs and train them specifically for PTSD interaction as well as good basic skills. But not sure how that can be funded. I know some programs start basic training in county or state prisons. Do you do that? Any ideas on how we can work to start a similar program would be helpful. Thanks much for all you do.

------------------------------
Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
------------------------------

hi Erica. thanks so much. What i was thinking is that the dog have basic training and then specific training as it relates to PTSD. However not to the level that the dog knows how to open doors or other functions needed for a physically handicapped individual. 

Where are you located? thanks again for the info

------------------------------
Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2026 07:15 AM
From: Erica Webb
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

Carol, 

By "full" service dogs, do you mean fully trained or do you mean task-trained? Federal funding will support programs that provide owner-training programs, where the Veteran works with staff to train service dogs for their specific needs. However, you are unlikely to find federal funding to support providing an emotional support or untrained companion animal. The latter two are not service animals. Certification typically consists of showing that your dog is task-trained. Check out Assistance Dogs International for some foundational information. 

------------------------------
Erica Webb
Director of Programs
Paws and Stripes
NM
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2026 12:54 PM
From: Carol Bridges
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

Hi I have wanted to do this for so long. However I found that unless dogs are trained as full "service dogs" the VA will not help fund the program. And that you have to be "certified" after 5 years in order to qualify as well. My goal was to pull more shelter dogs and train them specifically for PTSD interaction as well as good basic skills. But not sure how that can be funded. I know some programs start basic training in county or state prisons. Do you do that? Any ideas on how we can work to start a similar program would be helpful. Thanks much for all you do.

------------------------------
Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
------------------------------

Paws and Stripes is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our OG program pulls shelter dogs and pairs them with Veterans to be psychiatric service dogs. So, while some of the dogs do have light mobility work built into their tasks (things like retrieving keys or pill bottles) the majority tasks they are trained to do are centered around things deep pressure therapy, creating space in public areas/buffering, or behavior interruption. Because the dog is fully task-trained to address needs specific to the Veterans disability, they are considered service dogs. They don't necessarily need to be trained to open doors, or guide individuals if that is not related to an individuals disability.

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Erica Webb
Director of Programs
Paws and Stripes
NM
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-31-2026 08:44 AM
From: Carol Bridges
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

hi Erica. thanks so much. What i was thinking is that the dog have basic training and then specific training as it relates to PTSD. However not to the level that the dog knows how to open doors or other functions needed for a physically handicapped individual. 

Where are you located? thanks again for the info

------------------------------
Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2026 07:15 AM
From: Erica Webb
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

Carol, 

By "full" service dogs, do you mean fully trained or do you mean task-trained? Federal funding will support programs that provide owner-training programs, where the Veteran works with staff to train service dogs for their specific needs. However, you are unlikely to find federal funding to support providing an emotional support or untrained companion animal. The latter two are not service animals. Certification typically consists of showing that your dog is task-trained. Check out Assistance Dogs International for some foundational information. 

------------------------------
Erica Webb
Director of Programs
Paws and Stripes
NM
------------------------------



Original Message:
Sent: 08-25-2026 12:54 PM
From: Carol Bridges
Subject: 🐾 Liberty Dogs - Changing lives on both ends of the leash.

Hi I have wanted to do this for so long. However I found that unless dogs are trained as full "service dogs" the VA will not help fund the program. And that you have to be "certified" after 5 years in order to qualify as well. My goal was to pull more shelter dogs and train them specifically for PTSD interaction as well as good basic skills. But not sure how that can be funded. I know some programs start basic training in county or state prisons. Do you do that? Any ideas on how we can work to start a similar program would be helpful. Thanks much for all you do.

------------------------------
Carol Bridges
President
Winding River Paws for a Cause
NC
------------------------------