The federal government will fund a pilot project that aims to provide service dogs for up to 50 veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, CTV News has learned.
Sources say Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino will announce Tuesday that his department will provide up to $500,000 for the two-and-a-half year pilot project.
After meeting with stakeholders and realizing that more research is needed to assess the impact service dogs have on soldiers with PTSD, Veterans Affairs decided to fund the project.
One service dog can cost up to $15,000 and take three years to train, depending on what services it needs to provide. Such dogs are currently funded by charitable donations.
The Harper government has been studying the benefits of service dogs for years.
Last year, Veterans Affairs partnered with St. John Ambulance Canada and Can Praxis to research the benefits of using dogs and horses to treat veterans with mental health issues. A research partnership with the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research was also announced last September.
