Veterans with PTSD are being denied care by the VA if they bring their service dog with them to the facility.

I arrived at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake yesterday morning (6/4/14) much like any other time I have gone there, with my service dog Norman at my side. This time, however, I was met at the entrance by a uniformed Police Officer. Yes, the VA has their own police force, but that is a different issue. The reason the VA Police officer cited for stopping me was that the Salt Lake City VA Hospital does not recognize PTSD service dogs as being service animals. He refused to recognize the prescription from my physician, the tags identifying him as a service animal, and the federal law (Americans with Disabilities Act) that requires that they grant access to ALL service animals.

Instead, the administration of the VA Healthcare System in Salt Lake have created a sub-class of service animal that they have declared "of no real use" (the officer's words). He claimed that dogs cannot be trained to performs tasks for PTSD, that they either "are born with the instinct to do it, or not, but it can't be trained." Regardless of the falsity of his logic, federal law requires ALL service animals be granted access, not just some.

After much lecturing and telling me how I was wrong for calling my dog a service dog (I have a prescription from my physician and he is properly trained to do specific tasks, which makes him a service dog), the officer provided me with a copy of the VAMC Salt Lake City policy (dated March 5, 2014) on which he highlighted the section covering therapy, companion, and emotional support animals (because that is what he said they considered my service dog). Nowhere in their guidance does it prohibit PTSD service dogs by name, but the VA Salt Lake City Police are using this document to categorically discriminate against servicemembers who have PTSD and use a service dog to help manage their PTSD. When I pointed out that it did not prohibit PTSD service animals and listed the tasks that Norman (my service dog) performs, he stated that only physical tasks were recognized. He then proceeded to discount the necessity of having a service dog for epilepsy or diabetes because "we are in a hospital, so if they need medical care, they are right here." He continued to lecture and berate me for fifteen minutes while I attempted to excuse myself (I wouldn't leave without a written copy of the policy, so he delayed making the copy while he lectured some more).

Interestingly, the VA themselves are currently running a clinical trial on the benefits of service dogs for PTSD (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01329341). If they are willing to concede that there is likely a clinical benefit to having a service dog for PTSD, why then would they not allow someone who has a service dog and at the same time to access the health care that they are entitled to?

Some of you may wonder, "What does a service dog actually do for PTSD?" The reference at (http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html) has some wonderful answers, but the truth is that just like every other service animal, they are trained to perform specific tasks that aid their owner/handler in dealing with/overcoming their disability. But the key thing is that these must be specific, concrete, identifiable tasks that you can point to and say "This is what my service dog does to deal with my disability."

During my service, I earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star (with combat "V"), and am now rated 100% disabled due to my PTSD. The VA should not deny me access to care based on the fact that I have a service dog. Please consider signing my petition on Change.org to encourage the investigation and repeal of this policy at: https://www.change.org/petitions/sen-orrin-hatch-investigate-the-systematic-violation-of-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-ada-by-the-va-medical-center-in-salt-lake-city


More links on service dogs for PTSD:
http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/programs/servicedogsforveterans/
http://www.nami.org/ADVTemplate.cfm?Section=Advocate_Magazine&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=109134