The West Palm Beach Healthcare System is running a five-year pilot under the PAWS Act that gives veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder the chance to train candidate service dogs for fellow veterans.

The program is framed as an outpatient, cohort-based intervention intended to help participating veterans gain a sense of purpose through the altruism of training dogs that, in most cases, will go on to serve another veteran. Service dogs for veterans are commonly associated with reduced PTSD symptom severity, anxiety, and depression, compared with usual care alone. The local PAWS pilot enrolls groups of up to 10 veterans who together complete a total of 12 hours of canine-training activity as part of the site’s offering.

West Palm Beach is identified in VA materials as one of five PAWS pilot sites in the national implementation of the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act. The site’s program page describes the model as one in which “Veterans will assist in training candidate service dogs that, in most cases, will be for another Veteran.” This collaborative effort not only addresses the immediate needs of veterans but also fosters connections that help reduce feelings of isolation.

The workshops are delivered in partnership with a local Service-Dog Organization, listed in program materials as the training partner that works directly with veterans and candidate dogs. The West Palm Beach Healthcare System is described as a PAWS pilot site responsible for coordinating the local cohort, clinical screening, and referral processes for eligible veterans.

Program materials note the outpatient nature of the work: participants attend non-inpatient sessions that focus on hands-on canine training rather than receiving a dog for themselves. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD, about 7% of veterans will have PTSD at some point in their lives, with much higher rates among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The VA’s local description says, “This program may increase the sense of purpose and self-worth of Veterans through the altruism of helping others.” This sense of purpose may also contribute to improved quality of life, better psychosocial functioning, and greater life satisfaction among participants.

Jade Garneau-Fournier, PHD, is listed with the VA West Palm Beach health care affiliation in the program information released for the site, emphasizing the clinical expertise involved in the program’s execution.

The PAWS Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a five-year pilot to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with PTSD as part of complementary and integrative health services. At the West Palm Beach site, the program’s design centers on veterans training candidate service dogs that will typically be placed with other veterans, rather than on veterans being paired with a service dog for their own long-term use. Interested veterans can apply for the program by first meeting with their VA clinical care provider to discuss the clinical need for a service dog and begin the referral process.

Across the pilot, the West Palm Beach materials emphasize practical elements: small mixed cohorts, supervised training activities, and partnership with an accredited service-dog organization for the hands-on work. Local program text states, “PAWS is a pilot program at the West Palm Beach Healthcare system that provides Veterans with PTSD the opportunity to train service dogs for fellow Veterans.” Each training role presents therapeutic benefits that build routine, responsibility, and social engagement through structured tasks, fostering community among veterans.

The VA maintains an online West Palm Beach PAWS program page with current eligibility and enrollment information, but the specific last-updated date is not confirmed and should not be stated without verification.

Source materials for the local program are available on the VA West Palm Beach page outlining the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) pilot and its role at the site: VA West Palm Beach PAWS program.

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Original reporting: view the original article.