The suicide rate among post-9/11 veterans has become a national crisis. At a staggering number of 22 suicides per day, our wounded warriors are in dire need of psychological assistance. Currently, the treatment interventions used in the rehabilitation of veterans suffering from mental health disorders are limited. Furthermore, these therapy options available to veterans are not realizing adequate improvements in the management of their symptoms.

This business proposal advocates the utilization of psychiatric service dogs as an alternative intervention to help veterans manage their PTSD symptoms. Rescues for Warriors (RFW), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, aims to pair task trained service dogs with veterans in need of a rehabilitative canine companion. Using evidence-based selection tools, RFW rescues dogs from local animal shelters and uses comprehensive techniques to train them to patient-specific symptoms. This service will be free of charge for all veteran participants, and therefore, marketing and funding will be very important aspects of this business. While this plan does acknowledge the potential challenges in opening charitable organizations, RFW is rigorously committed to increase the quality of life of our nation’s heroes and rescue dogs alike.