Our Mission
Provide service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support dogs to veterans with physical and/or mental health challenges at no cost to the veteran or their family.
Service Dogs Give Veterans a New Leash on Life
Our Model
Veterans Moving Forward, Inc. (VMF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Jefferson County, WV, provides service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs to Veterans with physical and/or mental health challenges, at no cost to the Veterans.
VMF’s services are available to any veteran of any generation, who served honorably, has physical and/or mental challenges resulting from military operations and/or accident or disease experienced during or subsequent to military service.
Medical Review Board
The VMF Medical Board serves as an expert advisory body that ensures Veterans applying for VMF service dogs receive thoughtful, clinically informed review. The Board provides medical, psychological, therapeutic, and veterinary expertise to support VMF’s mission of providing highly trained service, therapy, and emotional support dogs to Veterans at no cost.
The board is 100% volunteer comprised of neuroscientists, emergency medicine physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and licensed therapists, counselors, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, and other relevant medical professionals.
VMF’s service dog training protocol includes:
- Socialization and Obedience training builds the foundation for a successful relationship with the dog and handler.
- Service Task Training may include; retrieval skills, light switch operation, door opening and closing, shopping assistance and PTSD interruption.
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification and Urban CGC certification are obtained by an outside organization for each canine.
- Advanced skill training to meet the Veterans specific needs starts after matching the service team.
VMF Differentiators:
- Veteran and Service Dogs are matched based on personality and temperament, needs of the Veteran and the skill set of the dog
- We will assist in linking the Veteran with a veterinarian near the Veterans home to provide follow up care for the Service Dog
- VMF follow up support and communication to include monthly communications, monthly health and welfare reports, a 3 month visit from VMF canine team at the Veterans home and then on an as needed basis for future support
- Yearly checkups to include a Public Access Test and refresher training
